Saratoga, NY— A small but mighty squad represented the Williams College Men's Cross Country team well yesterday at the RPI Harvest Classic Invitational. Taking on the full 8k distance for just the second time this season, the Ephs raced with grit to take fourth place overall, scoring 106 points.
Leaving behind the grassy, rolling hills of Williamstown, the Ephs competed instead on the winding gravel paths of Saratoga Spa State Park.
Ryan Hardiman '26 pushed to the front of the pack at the outset, putting himself in a position to score. As the race progressed, Hardiman held his own against competitors from RPI, UVM, and UAlbany, sprinting to the finish line and taking fifth place overall. Hardiman's time of 25:59 was over 60 seconds faster than his result at last weekend's Purple Valley Classic, displaying his growth over the 8K distance.
The next Eph to cross the line was first-year
Keiyu Mamiya '28, showing strength in just his second time racing the 8K. Mamiya stayed patient within the pack for most of the race, quickening his pace as he crested the final hill into the finishing straight. Mamiya took 26th place overall, racing to a time of 27:05. Not far behind was teammate
Ethan Striff-Cave '27, who showed grit and competed well in what was his first full 8K of the season. Striff-Cave crossed the line in a time of 27:46, finishing in 44th place overall. First-year
Jackson McFerron '28 was the next Eph to finish, taking 55th place in a time of 28:12. McFerron also improved his 8K time by over 90 seconds from last weekend's race. Charles Dybala '28 and
Rex Bedwick '28 exemplified the Ephs' characteristic pack-running strategy, pushing each other over the course of the race to finish in times of 28:55 and 28:58, respectively.
Eph head Coach
Dusty Lopez '01 emphasized that yesterday's race represented a growth opportunity for the Ephs who raced. "The team did very well today. It was a small and younger group so we gained some valuable experience at 8k, competed well, and came away with some things to work on. Overall, it was another great day to be an Eph," Lopez enthused.
The next time the Ephs toe the line will be next weekend, October 5th, at the Keene State College Invitational.
Official results linked here.
