Men's Cross Country News

3/13: Ridyard Earns Academic All-American Honors

New London, Conn.--Freshman Cross Country team member John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) has been named an individual Academic All-American for 2002. This award, given by the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coaches Association, requires the student-athlete to have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and to have finished in the top 25% at the NCAA Regional Championship meet. Ridyard has earned a 3.75 GPA at Connecticut College. He finished 63rd in the field of 273 at the Regional meet, helping the Camels to a fourth place finish and a spot in the national championship.

11/23: CAMELS FINISH 20th at NCAA Championship

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Senior co-captains Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) and Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT) crossed the finish line just three seconds apart from each other at the NCAA Championship in Northfield, MN, pacing the Camels to a 20th place finish Saturday afternoon. It marks the highest finish of any Connecticut College men's cross country program. At the NCAA banquet Friday evening, Connecticut College coach Jim Butler was named the NCAA Division III New England Region Coach of the Year.

"This is my team's award," Butler stated with pride. Butler also commended the efforts of his assistant and close friend Kevin Grant, one of the cornerstones of the successful Camel cross country program.

Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) was the first Camel to cross the finish line, posting a time of 26:00.2 and placing 57th out of the 215 runners on the 8K course. Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT) was 69th, finishing in 26:03.9. Freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) ran in 26:56.6 and finished 151st.

Seniors Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) and Matt Buchholz were the next two Camel finishers. Roe ran in 27:06.8 and finished 164th while Buchholz was the 175th man across with a time of 27:18.5. Jesse Efron (Guiford, CT) ran in 27:45.8 and was the 195th finisher. Matt Lunt (Cape Elizabeth, ME) pulled in with a time of 29:12.3, placing at 212. The Camels totaled 453 points in the meet.

Connecticut College vaulted its way into the NCAA top 25 this week, entering the race as the 24th ranked team in the land. The Camels lived up to their first national ranking, and topped St. Olaf College (MN); University of Puget Sound (WA); Emory University (GA) and Allegheny College (PA).

NCAA #20. Connecticut College
57 Adam Fitzgerald, Sr 26:00.2
69 David Clayman, Sr 26:03.9
151 John Ridyard, Fr 26:56.6
164 Alex Roe, Sr 27:06.8
175 Matt Buchholz, Sr 27:18.5
195 Jesse Efron, Jr 27:45.8
212 Matt Lunt, Sr 29:12.3

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Complete results available at www.raceberryjam.com.

11/19: CAMELS CRACK TOP 25 in NCAA National Poll

On Tuesday afternoon, the NCAA qualifying Connecticut College Men's Cross Country program cracked the top 25 in the NCAA Division III National Poll for the first time. The pre-championship poll ranks the Camels 24th in the nation. The Camels are preparing for the NCAA Championship at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN this Saturday. Please see the NCAA Division III Poll. [Poll]

11/18: CAMELS QUALIFY FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP- FIRST TEAM QUALIFICATION FOR NATIONALS IN PROGRAM HISTORY

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Connecticut College Men's Cross Country Program celebrated its finest hour of racing in program history Saturday afternoon at Westfield, MA. The Camels finished fourth at the New England Division III Championship and advanced as a team to the NCAA National Championship meet that will take place at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN this Saturday.

The top seven Camel runners all posted their fastest times in the five-mile distance en route to a fourth place team finish. Prior to Saturday's competition, the Camels had never finished higher than ninth at the New England Championship. Seniors Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT), Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) and junior Jesse Efron (Guilford, CT) all garnered selection to the All-New England Team.

Clayman has rewritten the Camel record books this fall. Two weeks ago, Clayman became the first runner to finish All-Conference in four consecutive seasons. Saturday afternoon, Clayman merited All-New England Honors for the fourth straight year and is the only runner to qualify for nationals on three occasions. Needless to say, Head Coach Jim Butler was satisfied with his team's performance.

"Finishing fourth at NESCAC's made us really believe that our goal might be possible if we ran a perfect race," Butler asserted. "I think that they ran a near perfect race at New England's. Now we are hopeful that we can run one better race in Minnesota."

The Camels finished with 151 points Saturday, placing ahead of 20th ranked Bates College and 23rd ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Clayman placed 11th overall with a time of 25:05. Adam Fitzgerald was 14th with a time of 25:09. Junior Jesse Efron (Guilford, CT) was 33rd with a time of 25:47. Matt Buchholz of East Lyme posted a time of 25:55 in 39th place. Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) followed up his All-ECAC performance with a 54th place finish in a time of 26:17. Freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) was 63rd, running in 26:27. Senior Britt Haselton (Williston, VT) was 83rd, finishing in 26:50.

The Camel men will depart for the NCAA Championship meet in Northfield, Minnesota this Thursday morning. Results from Saturday's meet will be posted after 5:00 pm on Saturday at www.conncoll.edu/athletics or at www.raceberryjam.com.
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11/6: ALEX ROE LEADS CAMELS AT ECAC CHAMPIONSHIP

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Senior Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) posted a time of 27:06 en route to a fourth place finish at the ECAC Division III Championship in Williamstown, Mass Saturday afternoon. Roe finished fourth out of 248 runners, garnering All-ECAC Honors and leading the Camels to a sixth place finish out of 42 competing institutions. The senior's placing marked the highest finish of any Camel runner at the ECAC Championship in the history of the program. With their top five runners on the sideline, the Camels finished with 164 points. Colby College topped the field of 42 with a score of 80 points.

After Roe's finish at the front of the field, the Camels placed three runners inside the top 40. Freshman Kai Kleinbard (Brooklyn, NY) was 31st overall, posting a time of 28:06. Britt Haselton (Williston, VT) ran in 28:13, and finished 35th overall. Matt Lunt (Cape Elizabeth, ME) was the 37th runner across, notching a time of 28:15. Jason Fizgerald (Lexington, MA) ran in 28:43 and placed 57th overall. Luca DiGregorio (Wethersfield, CT) timed out in 29:16 and placed 86th. Eric Stepick Ayers (Wilton, NH) finished 115th overall with a time of 29:57.

1 COLBY COLLEGE 80
2 WILLIAMS COLLEGE 123
3 KEENE STATE 127
4 TUFTS UNIV 134
5 VASSAR COLLEGE 158
6 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 164
7 AMHERST COLLEGE 187
8 BATES 206
9 PLATTSBURGH 263
10 BOWDOIN 269

11/6: CAMELS RANKED 7th in New ENGLAND POLL

NEW LONDON, Conn. - After a strong fourth place finish at the NESCAC Championships, the Camels have climbed to 7th in the weekly New England Division III Poll. Senior co-captain Adam Fitzgerald garnered first team All-Conference recognition at the meet while fellow captain Dave Clayman merited second-team All-Conference accolades. [Poll]

11/2 CAMELS FINISH FOURTH AT NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIP-FITZGERALD PACES CAMELS WITH SEVENTH PLACE FINISH

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Adam Fitzgerald posted a time of 26:05 on the 8K course at Grafton, Mass., finishing seventh overall and meriting a selection to the All- NESCAC Conference Team. Fitzgerald's run paced the Camels to a fourth place finish at the NESCAC Conference Championship with 122 points. It was the highest finish in the history of the program at the conference championship.

Bowdoin College placed first with 48 points. Williams and Bates College were second and third place finishers. David Clayman (Hamden, CT) also garnered All-Conference accolades with a 13th place finish in a time of 26:15. Clayman has been tabbed as an All-Conference performer in each of his four years of competition. Prior to his joining the program, no other Camel runner had merited an All-Conference selection more than once.

Freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) pulled in at 26th place with a time of 26:50. It was one of the top finishes for a freshman runner. Matt Buchholz of East Lyme turned in a solid effort, placing 37th overall with a time of 27:10. Junior Jesse Efron (Guilford, CT) finished 38th, timing out at 27:11. Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) and Britt Haselton (Williston, VT) were 46th and 48th with respective times of 27:19 and 27:20. Kai Kleinbard (Brooklyn, NY) was the 75th place finisher, posting a time of 27:55. Matt Lunt (Cape Elizabeth, ME) was 86th with a time of 28:12. Luca DiGregorio (Wethersfield, CT) rounded out the Camel finishers in the 104th position with a time of 28:55. For a complete listing of results, click here. [More]

1. Bowdoin College 48
2. Wiliams College 77
3. Bates College 116
4. Connecticut College 122
5. Tufts University 123
6. Trinity College 140
7. Wesleyan University 167
8. Amherst College 176
9. Colby College 207
10. Middlebury College 268
11. Hamilton College 345

10/26 CAMELS CAPTURE THAMES RIVER INVITATIONAL

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Connecticut College men's Cross Country program, ranked eighth in the weekly New England Division III poll, recorded a first place finish at the Thames River Invitational in New London on a rain dampened Saturday afternoon. The Camels ran without their top ten runners and finished with 27 points en route to the first place finish. Head Coach Jim Butler utilized an all freshman lineup to post the victory. Jason Fitzgerald (Lexington, MA) finished second overall with a time of 29:40. Ryan Bartro (Danvers, MA) pulled in at third place with a time of 29:51. Eric Stepick Ayers (Wilton, NH) merited a fourth place finish with a time of 30:44. Brendan Duffy (Boxford, MA) finished seventh with a time of 32:15. Ben Elander (Hamden, CT) placed 11th with a time of 33:18. The Camels will travel to Tufts University this Saturday to compete in the NESCAC Conference Championship in Medford, Mass.
Scoring

1 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 27
2 St. Joseph's College 36
3 Roger Williams University 57
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10/15: CAMELS CLIMB to 8th in NEW ENGLAND POLL

NEW LONDON, CT. - Bolstered by a strong showing at the All New England Championships in Boston, the Camels moved up two slots and are ranked eighth in the current New England Division III Poll. Senior co-captain Adam Fitzgerald recorded the fastest course time (25:12) of any Connecticut College runner on the Franklin Park Course in the Bay State. [Poll]

10/11: CAMELS PLACE 17th at ALL NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP

NEW LONDON, CT. - The Connecticut College Men's Cross Country program, ranked 10th in this week's New England Division III Coaches poll, placed 17th out of 47 competing institutions at the All New England Championships held at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts Friday afternoon. Paced by senior co-captains Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) and Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT), the Camels finished eighth out of all Division III institutions with 547 points.

The Camels finished second out of all competing institutions from Connecticut and topped several Division I programs en route to their 17th place finish. Providence College finished first with 36 points. Brown University (70 pts.) and Dartmouth College (128 pts.) finished second and third respectively.

Fitzgerald was the top finisher for the Camels, finishing 43rd in his native Bay State with a time of 25:12. Clayman followed at 53rd with a time of 25:23. Freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) timed out at 26:25, finishing at 146 overall. Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) finished on the heels of Ridyard, placing 150th with a time of 26:27. East Lyme product Matt Buchholz finished 156th at 26:32. Jesse Efron (Guilford, CT) posted a time of 26:35 for 160th place while Kai Kleinbard (Brooklyn, NY) logged a time of 27:08 for 212th place. In the junior varsity race, the Camels placed 15th.
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10/10: Camels Ranked 10th in Weekly New England Poll

NEW LONDON, CT. -The Connecticut College Camels are ranked 10th in the weekly New England poll. Paced by the respective first and second place finish of senior co-captains Adam Fitzgerald and Dave Clayman, the Camels turned in a first place performance at the Connecticut College Invitational.[Poll]

10/5: CAMELS TOP FIELD AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE INVITATIONAL-FITZGERALD LEADS THE WAY WITH 1ST PLACE FINISH

NEW LONDON, CT. -The Connecticut College men's Cross Country program captured first place at the 18th annual Connecticut College Invitational this Saturday afternoon. Senior co-captain Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) paced the Camels to victory, finishing first in the five mile course with a time of 27:35. Fellow captain Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT) finished second with a time of 28:09. Freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) rounded out the top three with a time of 29:05. Junior Jesse Efron (Guilford, CT) pulled in at fifth place with a time of 29:22. Kai Kleinbard (Brooklyn, NY) placed 10th with a time of 29:55.

Top Five Finishers
1 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 21
2 EASTERN CONNECTICUT 41
3 ROGER WILLIAMS 77
4 MOLLOY 127
5 EASTERN NAZARENE 141

Top 15 Runners
1 200 ADAM FITZGERALD CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 27:35
2 196 DAVID CLAYMAN CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 28:09
3 206 JOHN RIDYARD CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 29:05
4 225 PATRICK DENNEN EASTERN CT 29:14
5 199 JESSE EFRON CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 29:22
6 265 JON BUELL ROGER WILLIAMS 29:27
7 230 ANDREW GILDERSLEEVE EASTERN CT 29:36
8 224 MIKE CHILLY EASTERN CT 29:40
9 234 KRIS SORTWELL EASTERN CT 29:44
10 203 KAI KLEINBARD CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 29:55
11 201 JASON FITZGERALD CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 29:58
12 197 LUCA DIGREGORIO CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 30:06
13 233 JASON SMITH EASTERN CT 30:19
14194 RYAN BARTRO CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 30:20
15 202 BRITT HASELTON CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 30:27
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9/26: Camels Ranked Ninth in Weekly New England Poll

NEW LONDON, CT. -For the second consecutive week, the Connecticut College Camels own the ninth slot in the weekly New England poll.[Poll]

9/20: Camels Place Third at UMass Dartmouth

NEW LONDON, CT. - The Connecticut College Men's Cross Country placed third in a field of 31 schools at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational in southeastern Massachusetts Saturday afternoon. The Camels finished behind first place Coast Guard and Trinity with 108 total points. Senior co-captain Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) merited a 10th place finish with a time of 25:55.28 in the 8040 meter run. Fellow captain David Clayman (Hamden, CT) finished 15th with a time of 26:09.64. Senior Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) pulled in with a 20th place finish and a time of 26.20.18. East Lyme product Matt Buchholz placed 28th with a time of 26:36.35 while freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) landed a 35th place finish with a time of 26:45.01.

1.Coast Guard Academy
2.Trinity College
3. Connecticut College
4.Amherst College
5. Stonehill College
6. Keene State College
7. Tufts
8.University of New Haven
9. Colby College
10. University of Southern Maine

9/17: Camels Ranked Ninth in Coaches Poll

NEW LONDON, CT. -The Connecticut College Cross Country team is ranked ninth in the weekly New England poll.[Poll]

9/12: Camels Finish Second at Middlebury Invitational

Adam Fitzgerald Places Second Overall
The Connecticut College men's Cross Country program captured second place at the Middlebury College Invitational this afternoon with a total of 39 points. The Camels place four runners in the top eight overall. Senior co-captain Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) placed second overall with a time of 27:40.4 and just .8 seconds off the pace of the first place finisher. Senior Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD) merited a fifth place finish with a time of 28:12.4. Senior co-captain David Clayman (Hamden, CT) finished seventh with a time of 28:17.1. Matt Buchholz of East Lyme also impressed with an eighth place finish and a time of 28:22.1.

The Camels also got strong performances out of some newcomers. Freshman John Ridyard (Storrs, CT) finished 17th with a time of 29:19.5. Sophomore Luca DiGregorio (Wethersfield, CT) and freshman Kai Kleinbard (Brooklyn, NY) finished 20th and 21st respectively with times of 29:36.7 and 29:38.2.

The Camels will compete at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational this coming weekend. The Camels will run at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational next Saturday afternoon.

9/12: Camels Ranked 9th in New England Coaches Poll

Connecticut College Camels are currently ranked ninth in the Division III New England Coaches Poll.

1. Keene State (4) 55
2. Bowdoin(2) 54
3. Williams 49
4. Trinity 46
5. Bates 34
6. Tufts 27
7. MIT 24
8. Coast Guard 21
9. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 10
10. Amherst 9
ALSO: Colby 1

9/12: Fall Preview: Experienced Squad Merits Top 10 Preseason Ranking

With six of his top seven runners returning, Coach Jim Butler recognizes his experienced squad is ready to compete with the top competition in the Northeast corridor. A number 10 ranking in the New England Coaches preseason poll has asserted the notion that the Camels are ready to step to the forefront as one of the top squads in the region. The combination of a strong senior class and talented newcomers should allow the Camels to improve on their 13th place finish in New England last fall.
Leading the way is two-time National Championship qualifier and Nutmeg State native Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT). Clayman will co-captain the club with senior classmate Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA), who won the Div. III New England Championship 10,000 meter in outdoor track this past spring. Entering his 16th season at the helm of the program, Butler will also expect contributions from junior Jesse Efron (Guilford, CT), who was first man out of the gate for the Camels in a number of meets last fall. Seniors Matt Buchholz (East Lyme, CT), Alex Roe (Bethesda, MD), Britt Haselton (Williston, VT), Matt Lunt (Cape Elizabeth, ME) and Jared Lamb (Mansfield, CT) should all contribute as experienced returning runners. Seven freshmen are on the squad and according to Coach Butler "are working hard" in an attempt to crack the top 7. The Camels open this weekend at the Middlebury Invitational in Vermont.

9/2: Clayman and Fitzgerald to Serve as Men's Cross Country Captains

Connecticut College Cross Country Coach Jim Butler announced that seniors Dave Clayman (Hamden, CT) and Adam Fitzgerald (Carlisle, MA) will serve as Co-Captains for the 2002 season. Clayman has earned All-NESCAC honors for the past three Cross Country seasons and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship during his sophomore and junior years. Fitzgerald won the 10,000 meters at the Division III New England Track & Field Champioships this past spring in a school record time of 31:58.24.