The benefits of tapering became apparent this weekend as both cross-country teams sped to top five finishes at the ECAC Championships in Grafton, MA. The men claimed second place out of forty-four teams, as all five scoring runners placed in the top 30. The women garnered fourth place, out of forty-three schools, behind Keene State, Tufts, and meet-champion Middlebury.

Speed and an aggressive racing strategy led the men to their highest overall finish of the year. "I'm ecstatic to see that the confidence developed by our freshmen and sophomores and the leadership demonstrated by the upperclassmen culminated in a great team finish," remarked cross-country coach Eric Nedeau.

The Jeffs were led by Alex Lenkoski '03, who completed the five-mile course in 27:34, good for 13th overall. Nathaniel Robinson '01 (14th) and Michael Page '04 (15th) finished on Lenkoski's heels in 27:37 and 27:38 respectively. John Stanton-Geddes '04 (27:55) took fourth on the team and 21st overall, while Carson Taylor '03 (28:19) finished in the top five for the first time this year and placed 30th overall.

The entire women's team contributed to their solid fourth-place finish. Junior Rebecca Woo paced the team, placing 23rd overall in 20:02. Aparna Nancherla '04 continued her streak of solid races, finishing immediately behind Woo '02 in 20:06.

Cecily Brewer '02 (31st, 20:27) ended her season on a positive note, while sophomores Jamie Newman and Laurel Kilgour each crossed the line in 20:40, good for 42nd and 43rd overall respectively. Freshmen Helen Dole and Aly Venti ended their first college season with strong races, as Dole '04 took 59th in 20:56 and Venti '04 claimed 77th in 21:14.

Both teams return to racing this Saturday at the New England Division III Regional Championships on the campus of UMass-Dartmouth. The top four men's and women's teams from this meet will receive invitations to the Division III National Championships, hosted by Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

While the men are not likely to finish in the top four, they hope to end their season with personal bests and outstanding individual races. "[The men] have grown tremendously this season," said Nedeau. "For a team comprised of almost all underclassmen, including three freshmen, they did fantastic."

The women, however, have a good chance to place in the top four this weekend. Led by juniors Katie Scangos, Diana Rancourt, Emily Lobsenz, and Katie Famous '01, the women hope to become Amherst's first cross-country team to compete at Nationals. "The women looked at particular teams [in this race] last year, and got surprised by a team we overlooked," said Ned. "This year, we are looking to do the best we can."