A large contingent of alums came back to Middletown
Saturday, Sept. 3 to run in the annual race, held for the second time on
Wesleyan's new course. Pictured are (standing, L to R): Greg Murphy '81,
John Fixx '83, Dave Buddington '63, John Hastings '71, Pat Keegan '99,
Mark Umbarger '03, Vince Buccola '03, Max Piana '05, Jon Chesto '93, Matt
MOss '05, Andy Comings '03 and former cross-country coach Elmer Swanson ;
(sitting/kneeling, L to R): Liz Colville '05, Gina Tassone '05, Matt
Nettleton '03, Bryan Bissell '04, Anders Peterson '99, Ann Dunham '79, Art
Magni '93 and Jeremy Solomon '06.
Forty-seven racers head out over the marvelous sloping
terrain of the Long Hill Farms racing course as the men covered a distance
of 5,000 meters while the women ran 3,458 meters.
The biggest question here is how many of the people in
this photo were already "over the hill" before they reached this point of
the race.......
Out in front at the first turn is Jeremy Solomon '06,
representing the alums as his racing days had concluded though graduation
has not quite been reached. Close behind are top varsity performers
Owen Kiely '06 and Wes Fuhrman '05, competing this year as a grad student
after placing 18th nationally in Division III in 2004. Solomon
(16:17) edged Fuhrman (16:24) and Kiely (16:24) at the finish to win the
event.
If you don't see many people trailing this trio, don't
worry. It was the job of (L to R) John Fixx '83, Walter Severini '73
and John Hastings '71 to make sure nobody got left behind.
Bryan Bissell '04, who attended the NCAA Division III
Championships as a senior, was the top finisher among the true alums as he
came in 13th in a time of 17:30.
Ann Dunham '79 remains the most consistent representative
among women alumnae at cross-country races. She has run in eight of
the last 11 alumnae events and in many more prior to 1995. Ann was the first
Wesleyan woman to compete for four years, debuting with the men's
x-country team in
1975 before the women's first varsity season in 1976.
