Haney's Win Leads Jumbos to 4th at ECACs

(11/5/2012 8:56 PM) Full Results

For the second time this fall, a Jumbo has won at Mt. Greylock High School. In September, junior Ben Wallis took first place at the Purple Valley Classic ahead of a strong pack of some of the strongest runners in the northeast. This weekend, senior Sam Haney kept the undefeated-in-Williamstown streak alive by topping the 247-man field at the ECAC Championships for his first collegiate victory. After battling with a small lead pack of runners, three of them from eventual team champion Amherst, Haney took off with 200 meters to go to finish in 26:22.86, putting three seconds between himself and runner-up Todd Ford of Williams in the final straightaway alone. To give some perspective, Sam’s time would have put him 25th at the New England Championships the last time Williams hosted in 2010, earning him All-Region honors.

Haney’s victory led a fourth-place finish for the Jumbos, as Bates and Williams came in behind the Lord Jeffs. Scoring second for Tufts was sophomore Marshall Pagano, who ended his fall on a high note earning All-ECAC honors for his 13th-place finish. Junior Jamie Norton was just seconds back in 16th, and in the first championship meet of his career freshman Michael Curley intelligently moved up the entire race to grab 27th. Sophomore Joseph St. Pierre rounded out the scoring five for the Jumbos in 31st. Sophomore Greg Hardy and senior co-captain Jeff Marvel were 35th and 60th, respectively.

The focus now shifts entirely to next week’s New England Championships. The fight the Jumbo second seven demonstrated, in particular Haney’s relentless grit and lethal kick, no doubt lights a fire under the varsity squad as they look towards securing one of two automatic berths to the National Championships in Terre Haute, IN. Join us this Saturday in Westfield, MA.


Full Results