Tufts’ Crane, Williams’ Johnson Share Top Honors; Hamilton’s Kosgei Repeats as MOP

Men's All-Conference | Women's All-Conference

HADLEY, Mass. – Following the completion of the 2009 NESCAC Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships, the league has announced the 2009 NESCAC All-Conference Team. The top three finishers in each event during the championship, hosted by Connecticut College on April 25, receive All-Conference recognition.

Juniors Logan Crane (Portland, Maine) of Tufts and Elise Johnson (Cleveland, Ohio) of Williams shared the Sabasteanski Award as the Most Outstanding Female Performer as determined by the conference coaches. Crane repeated as champion in both the 100-meter Dash along with the Long Jump, posting a time of 12.67 in the dash while setting a personal record in the Long Jump with a distance of 5.64 meters. She also placed fourth in the 200-meter Dash and was a part of the Jumbos’ 4x100-meter Relay team that came in second. Johnson won the 100-meter Hurdles in 14.70, was the runner-up to Crane in the 100-meter Dash with a time of 12.68, and was also second in the 200-meter Dash with a season-best time of 25.85. Johnson was the lead leg of the Ephs’ championship-winning 4x100-meter Relay team.

After sharing the men’s award last year, Hamilton junior Peter Kosgei (Kapsabet, Kenya) claimed the Sabasteanski Award as the Most Outstanding Male Performer outright this spring. Kosgei repeated as NESCAC champion in both the 800-meter and 1500-meter Runs, smashing the meet record in the 800 he set a year ago with a time of 1:50.44. Kosgei, who also holds the championship record in the 1500, turned in a 3:53.74 performance in the 1500 this past weekend.

Rookie Most Outstanding Performer honors went to Trinity first year Sarah Ciarleglio (Waterbury, Conn.) and Middlebury freshman Mike Schmidt (Wilmette, Ill.). Ciarleglio won the Javelin Throw with a mark of 43.08 meters, nearly five meters more than the runner-up in the event. Schmidt claimed individual honors in the 10000-meter Run, out-distancing the rest of the field by just under four seconds.

Women’s Coach of the Year was shared by Middlebury’s Martin Beatty and Williams’ Fletcher Brooks. A 1984 graduate of Middlebury, Beatty is currently in the midst of his 22nd season at the helm of the Panther track and field teams. He previously garnered Coach of the Year on the men’s side in 2005. Brooks, who was also named 2009 Men’s Coach of the Year, is in his first season at Williams, as he guided the men’s squad to their 15th outright championship in the past 17 years while the women won their 10th-straight title and 18th overall. Beatty’s Panthers finished second in the women’s championship behind the Ephs.