WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. -- The Williams men's track and field team is set to commence the 2021-22 indoor season at the Boston University Season Opener on December 4th. This will be the first indoor meet in nearly 2 years.
The Ephs recently had a strong closing to their cross country season, again winning NESCACs and the regional championship and finishing 3rd at the NCAA national championship, repeating their results from the last cross country season in 2019. Earning the All-American honor was Elias Lindgren '22 who placed 2nd, Aidan Ryan '22 who placed 4th, and Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos '25 who placed 19th. Additionally, solid performances by John Lucey '24, Nate Lentz '24, Chuckie Namiot '25, and Will Spollen '23 aided in the Ephs' 3rd place finish.
A few members of the team were able to graduate this past year, but have elected to return to compete in one more year. This includes sprinter Cole O'Flaherty '22, sprinter Karol Regula '22, and distance runner Aidan Ryan '22.Â
The upcoming 2021-22 indoor season will be the Ephs' first experience of a somewhat normal season since the 2019-20 indoor season prior to the pandemic, which obviously gives rise to a set of new challenges. However, a major strength of the men's track and field team is their resilience, even prior to the pandemic, which is what allowed them to succeed in the cross country season and hopefully will continue through the winter season. The resilience of the team is so strong in fact, that as stated by the head coach of the men's team, Ethan Barron, "I'm constantly working to find ways to build an environment that simply needs less resilience. That is where we can improve the most. How can we construct a path through Williams that is appropriately burdensome, appropriately taxing, appropriately stressful? It's never going to be easy, no one wants that. But it doesn't have to [be] suffocating either." Finding a proper balance will allow the Ephs to excel further.Â
Although the effects of the pandemic still linger, viewing training from a broad perspective reveals that preparing for this season is no different than preparing for previous seasons. According to Barron, "It feels like every season for the last 5 years has been different. At least from the perspective of the details or the minutia. Admittedly, I no longer remember what a typical training year looks like. However, in the big picture, we always just look at what we have available and maximize that to its fullest. From that perspective, this year is no different than any of my past years." In other words, there will be variation in the details of training that differ season to season but the overarching idea of maximizing what we have remains present.
This being the first time in nearly two years that many athletes are able to have goals to pursue again fills the coaches and athletes with a sense of optimism for the upcoming season. The pandemic brought to light the importance of these goals, as "before last year, I never realized how much my optimism and my ability to hope was rooted to these pursuits. Individual, event group, team. I'm built to chase. It's nice to be back in the hunt," stated Barron. Having something to strive for will bring a greater sense of purpose for athletes and coaches."
"Looking ahead, the biggest goal for this season "is to throw down completely and utterly uninhibited at NESCACs this spring," says Barron. "I want us to walk into that meet with a fire and a fearlessness typically only reserved for seniors. If we do that, I'll head into the summer a contented man." With new classes of freshmen and sophomores joining during a time where there have been no NESCAC championships, very few athletes have competed in a NESCACs at this point. To enter the first NESCACs after an extended break and give it their all is something for the athletes and coaches alike to strive for.
