Terre Haute, IN— Seven members of the Williams College Cross Country team toed the line at the 2024 Division III National Cross Country Championships, the culminating event of the season. For five of these seven racers— Yanashita, Kemp, Oakes, Zanuck, and Mamiya— today's national championship was their first. With this mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers, the Ephs well outperformed their USTFCCCA 13th place ranking, earning 10th overall out of the 32 teams that competed.
Hosted by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Championship Course, the race boasted similar terrain to courses the team had contended with over the course of the season, with rolling hills and twisting grassy paths. Despite a muddy starting field and cold temperatures, the Ephs positioned themselves well from the gun, contending for a top place. Senior Captain
Chuckie Namiot '25, in the last race of his college cross country career, led the charge. Setting himself up at the front of the race, Namiot surged around the turns, even leading the entire field at the 5.5K mark. Namiot held his own against a talented pack of the nation's best individuals, crossing the line in a time of 24:14.70 to finish seventh overall. "It's difficult to move up at Nationals, so the goal was to get out hard," Namiot explained. "I'm proud of the way I raced. I put it all out there; can't ask for much more than that." Eph head Coach
Dusty Lopez '01 added, "I'm very happy for Chuckie to have had a great showing to cap off what has been an outstanding career for Williams."
Ryan Hardiman '26,
Rick Yanashita '26, and
Alex Kemp '28 found each other within the crowded field of racers. The three Ephs worked together over the course of the race, changing positions and pushing each other as they progressed forward. Kemp was the first of the three to cross the line, finishing in a time of 24:58.5. Taking 63rd place overall, Kemp was the fastest first-year to compete at this year's championship. Yanashita was just two seconds behind, crossing the line in a time of 25:00.70 to take 71st overall. Hardiman also remained connected to the pack, finishing just four seconds after Yanashita (25:04.10) in 83rd place. The compression between these three Ephs was under six seconds, contributing immensely to the team score.
Malcolm Oakes '28 was the next Williams finisher. Oakes showed grit and determination, remaining composed over the course of the race and crossing the line in a time of 25:25.90. Not far behind,
Luke Zanuck '26 kept Oakes in sight, racing through the finish in a time of 25:29.20. The pair of Ephs took 141st and 152nd place overall, respectively, finishing within the top half of a very competitive national field.
Keiyu Mamiya '28 was also close behind, working to stay connected to his teammates as the race progressed. Mamiya crossed the line in a time of 25:36.90 to take 172nd place.
"The men's team really sent it today in the first half of the race," noted Eph head coach
Dusty Lopez. "We talked about running hard from the start so it was a great feeling to see them running with conviction and mixing it up at the front of the field. Our inexperience at the national meet showed a little bit in the last two to three kilometers, but sometimes that happens. There was so much to be proud of in this race and this season for the team." In equal measure, coach Lopez emphasized the importance of members of the team who did not compete but still traveled to Terre Haute to support the racers. For competitors, coaches, and spectators alike, it was a great day to be an Eph.
Official results linked
here.
