Men's Cross Country News

Captains Luca DiGregorio (left) and John Ridyard (right)

11/15: Butler Named NESCAC Coach of the Year

New London, Conn. -- Connecticut College head Men's Cross Country Coach Jim Butler has been named co-Coach of the Year in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), sharing the honor with Tufts University Coach Connie Putnam. Butler, now in his 18 th season at the helm of the men’s cross country program, led a young Camel team to a fourth place finish at the NESCAC Championship October 30th. With one of the youngest teams in the nation, the Camels finished the season ranked #7 in the New England Division III Cross Country Poll.

Over the past two decades, Butler has built the Camels into one of the top Division III programs in New England . In 2002, the Camels finished fourth among 39 schools at the New England Division III Championship, qualifying as a team for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship. The Camels would finish 20th at the nationals held in Northfield , MN , where Butler was named the NCAA Division III New England Region Coach of the Year .

"It is quite satisfying that my fellow NESCAC coaches would vote to honor me with this award" Butler said. "I want to thank the men of the team and Assistant Coach Adam Fitzgerald for making this possible."

Katherine Christoffers '45 Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Fran Shields congratulated Butler on this coaching honor.

“We are very proud of Jim and his program,” Shields stated. “Jim’s colleagues have recognized his extraordinary work with a young team and they also pay homage to his intense dedication and commitment to excellence in his student-athletes. Connecticut College and its students have benefited greatly from Jim’s quality work over the past 18 years. This recognition is richly deserved.”

11/14: Camels Finish 7th at New England Regionals; Adams All-New England

Cumberland, Maine --The Connecticut College Men's Cross Country team finished in a seventh-place tie with Middlebury College among 46 teams yesterday at the NCAA New England Regional Championships, held at the Twinbrook recreation complex in Cumberland, Maine. The meet was won by Tufts University with 62 points; the Camels finished with 245 points. Connecticut College was led by junior Brian Adams who finished 21st in a time of 26:47, garnering All-New England honors for the first time.

Freshman Aaron Wheeler was the second Camel finisher, placing 44th and running 27:18 over the five-mile course. Also scoring were junior co-Captain John Ridyard (53rd, 27:31), freshman Vitaly Theriault (56th, 27:34), and freshman Brendan Curran (71st, 27:47). Junior Jason Fitzgerald (110th, 28:34) and senior co-Captain Luca DiGregorio (111th, 28:35) ran sixth and seventh for the team respectively.

Coach Jim Butler was pleased with the team's performance. "We ran aggressively and made a run at one of the four Nationals qualifying spots," Butler stated. "Although we did not qualify for Wisconsin, we are not disappointed. Adam(Assistant Coach Adam Fitzgerald) and I told the team after the meet that they ran a very good race today and they left nothing on the course. The fact that we only have one senior in the top 7 already has us thinking about next year".

Butler also lauded the race of Connecticut College's first man, Brian Adams.

"Brian ran a terrific race today," Butler Stated. "He hung off the leaders and never really let them get away. The hard work he put in this summer and fall has paid dividends for him and he has earned his All-New England honor."

New England Division III Championship Results

11/6: Camels Finish 13th at ECAC Championship

Grafton, Mass. – The Connecticut College Camels rested their top seven, running their second seven at the ECAC Championship in Grafton, Mass Saturday. Connecticut College finished 13th overall with 425 points. Tufts University won the Championship with 70 points.

Senior Andrew Russell paced the Camels with a 33rd place running and a time of 28:17. Freshmen Tyler Silverman was 79th with a time of 29:25. Junior Brendan Duffey was 102nd overall, posting a time of 29:55.

Junior Andrew McCullough was 112th with a time of 30:08. Michael Shreve ran a time of 30:14 to finish 119th. Freshmen Basil Beaty and Chris Bannish finished in 133rd and 141st place with respective times of 30:26 and 30:36.

Connecticut College will travel to Cumberland, Maine this weekend for the New England Division III Championship. Jim Butler's Camels have vaulted their way into sixth place in the latest New England Division III Poll.

ECAC Championship Results

11/2: Camels Ranked 6th IN New England Poll

New London, Conn. -- The Men's Cross Country team is ranked 6th this week in the New England Division III Poll. This is the first time this season that the team has been ranked in the top ten. The Camels are coming off a fourth place finish at the NESCAC Championship, where the only teams to beat them were nationally ranked Tufts (#5), Williams (#14), and Bates (#12). Click here to view the New England Division III Poll

10/30: Camels Finish 4th at NESCAC Championship

Junior Brian Adams Earns All-Conference Honors For Camels

Waterville , Maine. – The Connecticut College men's cross country finished in fourth place out of 11 teams at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship hosted by Colby College in Waterville, Maine. The Camels finished with 128 points, topping Wesleyan University (131) and Amherst College (137). Tufts University, the fifth ranked team in the nation, captured the championship with a score of 43 points. #14 Williams College took second place with 62 points and 12th ranked Bates College earned third place with 115 points. The fourth place finish for the Camels equaled the team's highest finish at the NESCAC Championship in 2002.

Junior Brian Adams finished 14th overall with a time of 26:03, earning All-Conference honors. Freshman Aaron Wheeler and Junior John Ridyard played a major role in the team's performance finishing 26th and 27th with respective times of 26:32.99 and 26:37.59. Head Coach Jim Butler was impressed with Ridyard's performance. Earlier in the afternoon it was unclear if the junior captain would even run.

“I give all the credit to John for his performance today,” Butler stated. “He led us today with his stand up performance.”

Freshman Vitaly Theriault finished 29th overall with at time of 26:40.53. Freshman Brendan Curran was 32nd with a time of 26:49.50. Junior Jason Fitzgerald posted a time of 27:30.01 in 61st place. Senior Andrew Russell rounded out the top seven in 70th place with a time of 28:10.11.

Other Camel finishers included senior co-captain Luca DiGregorio (28:35.45). Tyler Silverman logged a time of 28:55.32 and Andrew McCullough finished with a time of 29:16.04.

The Camels will travel to Grafton, Mass. for the ECAC Championship next Saturday. The following Saturday, the team will compete in the New England Division III Championship at Cumberland, Maine.

NESCAC Championship Results

10/16: Camels Top Two Division 1 Programs at Leopard Invitational 

Easton , Penn. – The Connecticut College men's cross country was in action at the Leopard Invitational hosted by Lafayette College in Easton , Pennsylvania . The Camels enjoyed a productive Saturday, topping two Division 1 program to finish in sixth place out of nine competing schools. Three of the top five finishers for head coach Jim Butler were freshman. The Camels scored 152 points, topping Lafayette (195), Rider University (195) and St. Joseph 's (Inc.)

Freshman Aaron Wheeler was the top performer for the Camels, posting a time of 26:49.20 to finish 21 st overall. Junior Brian Adams contributed with his solid 26 th place run, completing the course in 26:53.70. Junior captain John Ridyard took 31 st place with a time of 27:01.90.

Freshman Vitaly Theriault ran a time of 27:26.70 en route to a 48 th place finish. Brendan Curran was 56 th overall, logging a time of 27:48. Junior Jason Fitzgerald completed the course in 28:13, finishing in 66 th place. Senior co-captain Luca DiGregorio rounded out the top seven with a time of 28:59 for the Camels.

Other competing Camel runners included Andrew Russell, who was 83 rd overall with a time of 29:25.70. Brendan Duffey (95th, 30:45), Michael Shreve (96 th , 30:49), Eric Stepick Ayers (97 th , 31:13.40), Ben Alander (31:45.60), and Basile Beaty (31:58.40) competed for Connecticut College.

Leopard Invitational Results

10/8: John Ridyard Finishes 18th Among Division III Competitors at All-New England Championship

NEW LONDON , Conn. – The Connecticut College men's cross country finished in 25 th place out of 48 competing teams at the All-New England Championship in Boston Friday afternoon. The Camels scored 679 points, finishing in front of BU (738) and and Colby (776). Providence College won the championship with a score of 25 points.

Junior captain John Ridyard led the Camels with a time of 26:04 to finish 62nd overall. Freshman Aaron Wheeler was 110th with a time of 26:45. Junior Brian Adams ran a time of 27:26 and was 161st overall. Sophomore Jason Fitzgerald posted a time of 27:43 with a place of 184.

Andrew McCullough posted a time of 28:56 to finish in 251st place. Senior co-captain Luca DiGregorio rounded out the top seven with a time of 30:13 (284th).

The Camels also competed in the sub-varsity race, scoring 570 points to finish 21st overall. Brendan Curran was the highest Camel finisher with a time of 28:14. Tyler Silverman was 118th overall with a time of 28:38. Andrew Russell ran a time of 29:17 to finish 153rd.

Other Camels in competition included Eric Stepick Ayers (29:53, 173), Chris Bannish (30:11, 183), and Basile Beaty (30:20, 187). Junior Michael Shreve and Ben Alander ran to a time of 30:29 to finish 190 and 191 respectively. Brendan Duffey was 209th with a time of 31:19. The Camels are receiving votes in the latest All-New England Cross Country Poll.

All New England Varsity Results

Sub Varsity Results

10/1: Camels Receive Votes in All-New England Poll

NEW LONDON , Conn. --The Connecticut College men's cross country team is receiving votes in the latest All-New England (Divisions I, II, and III) poll. The Camels are idle this weekend and will travel to Franklin Park in Boston for the All-New England Champonship next Friday.

All-New England Poll

9/25: John Ridyard and Aaron Wheeler Earn All-Invitational Honors at Jumbo Invitational

NEW LONDON , Conn. -- The Connecticut College men's cross country team traveled to Grafton, Mass. for the Jumbo Invitational hosted by Tufts University Saturday. The Camels were 5th out of 10 teams at the meet, scoring 119 points. Junior captain John Ridyard and freshman Aaron Wheeler each garnered All-Invitational honors by placing in the top 15 of the field. Ridyard was 11th with a time of 27:13.08 and Wheeler cruised to the finish line with a time of 27:24.78 in 15th place. Tufts University won the invitational with a score of 22 points. Keene State was second (64) and Trinity College (81) earned third place.

Junior Brian Adams posted a time of 28:16.54 in 32nd place. Freshman Vitaly Theriault checked in with a time of 28:32.12 in 40th place. Junior Jason Fitzgerald logged a time of 28:51.87 for 47th place. Senior co-captain Luca DiGregorio was 50th overall with a time of 29:01.52. Freshman Brendan Curran rounded out the top seven in 53rd place with a time of 29:12.26.

Sophomore Andrew McCullough earned 66th place with a time of 29:37.87. Adam Weber posted a time of 30:11.48 en route to an 80th place finish. Other Camels in action included Brendan Duffy (87th , 30:43.99); Chris Bannish (88th , 30:45.81); Eric Stepick Ayers (91, 30:59.26); Andrew Russell (93, 31:01.51); and Mike Shreve (103, 31:28.54). Ben Alander finished in slot #110 (31:47.67) and Basile Beatty was 115th with a time of 32:13.85.

Jumbo Invitational Results

9/11: Camels Finish Seven Out of 24 at Connecticut College Invitational

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Connecticut College hosted 24 teams for its annual Cross Country Invitational held at Harkness State Park in Waterford, CT. The Camels finished seventh in the meet with a score of 163 points. Southern Connecticut State won the invitational with a score of 68 points, followed by the College of New Jersey (85) and New York University (92).

Junior Brian Adams led the Camels with a 23 rd place running on the 8k course with a time of 26:29. Junior captain John Ridyard of Storrs posted a time of 26:33 with a 27 th place showing. Freshman Aaron Wheeler finished on the heels of Ridyard in 28th with a time of 26:35.

Senior co-captain Luca DiGregorio posted a time of 26:49 en route to a 37th place running. Freshman Vitaly Theriault was the next Camel to cross the finish line in 57th place with a time of 27:17. Junior Jason Fitzgerald was 58th with a time of 27:18. Andrew McCullough rounded out the top seven in 79th place overall with a time of 27:52.

Other Camel finishers included Tyler Silverman (95th , 28:18), Brendan Curran (126, 29:00), and Adam Weber (159, 29:34). Brendan Duffey recorded a time of 30:12 (180th) followed by Basile Beaty (183, 30:18), and Andrew Russell (191, 30:26). Chris Bannish (196, 30:39), Ben Alander (197, 30:44), and Eric Stepick Ayers (202, 30:54) rounded out the Camel finishers.

Individual Results Team Results

9/6: 2004 Season Preview

The Men's Cross Country team will open the 2004 season this Saturday with their only home meet of the season, on their Harkness State Park (Waterford, CT) course. The Camels lost 2003 All-American and two-time All-New England runner Adam Fitzgerald and 2002 All-New England runner Jesse Efron to graduation. Fitzgerald is back with the team, however, serving as Coach Jim Butler's assistant.

Butler, entering his 18th season at the helm of the Camel Men, is cautiously optimistic about this year's team. “We have a nice mix of returning runners, including junior Co-Captain John Ridyard who was a member of our 2002 team that went to Nationals, and some new talent,” said Butler. “Our goal is to have our new team members help us to be competitive by the end of the year.”

Butler named Ridyard (Storrs, CT), senior Co-Captain Luca DiGregorio (Wethersfield, CT), junior Brian Adams (Pine Plains, NY), and junior Jason Fitzgerald (Lexington, MA) as the returning team members who have looked the best in early season practice. Juniors Ryan Bartro (Prides Crossing, MA), Brendan Duffey (Boxford , MA), Ben Alander (Hamden, CT), and Eric Stepick Ayers (Henniker, NH) also have experience and will vie to obtain a top 7 spot. Freshmen he expects might help include Aaron Wheeler (Topsfield, MA), Vitaly Theriault (Ashford, CT), Adam Weber (Reading, PA), Tyler Silverman (Redding, CT), Brendan Curran (Lynfield, MA), Chris Bannish (Westfield, MA), and Basile Beaty (Belmont, MA). Three other newcomers to the Cross team are Track veterans senior Andrew Russell (Wakefield, MA), junior Mike Shreve (Oxford, NH) and sophomore Andrew McCullough (Montpelier, VT).

The Camel Men's team schedule this year includes travel out of region to Easton, Pennsylvania for the Lafayette Invitational on October 16th .

9/6: Coach Butler Announces 2004 Team Captains

Coach Jim Butler has named Luca DiGregorio and John Ridyard as 2004 Men's Cross Country Co-Captains. DiGregorio is a senior from Wethersfield, Connecticut who is majoring in mathematics. Ridyard, a junior from Storrs, Connecticut, is a bio-chemistry major.