The 5k loop at Mount Greylock couldn't contain Michelle Rorke.
The Williams senior was consistently the second or third finisher for an Ephs cross country team that took second at Nationals this year, and she has made a name for herself running distances far beyond those in cross country meets.
Rorke's time of 2:43.08 in last Monday's Boston Marathon, a seven-minute improvement over her first go-around in 2005, placed her 17th among all women. More importantly, Rorke was the third American woman to finish, an accomplishment that has earned a trip to the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials.
"I was very happy and a little bit surprised with how my race turned out," Rorke said. "Training alone, it was sometimes hard to gauge my progress."
Rorke credits Williams cross country coach Peter Farwell, a Boston Marathon veteran and Williams alum, with much of her training. To run at such a high level during her senior year at a small college added sentimental value to her achievements.
"It is the end of my senior year, so I'm starting to get nostalgic about my time [at Williams]," Rorke said. "I'm really going to miss the school and the great mix of competition and camaraderie that characterizes NESCAC athletics."
While last week's marathon was only her second, Rorke is increasingly making marathons a major part of her life.
"I've only run two marathons, but I am looking forward to doing more," Rorke said. "I am hoping to find a way to start a career, and stay in shape until the trials."
Rorke was not the only person associated with Williams to put forth an impressive result in last week's race, as she was joined by a former Eph on the men's side.
In a race where American men had the most success in recent memory, 1996 Williams graduate Marzuki Stevens, a standout runner during his time at Williams (he was a member of the 1994 and 1995 NCAA Champion cross country teams, a two-time All-American in cross country and once in track) found himself right in the middle of the nation's top contenders. He finished 20th overall and 11th among US citizens with a time of 2:20.11, also qualifying him for the 2008 Olympic Trials. Stevens has roots in Williams cross country and was a member of the 1994 and 1995 Eph teams that took home back-to-back national championships.
Williams is not the only NESCAC school to have racked up some bragging rights at the 110th Boston Marathon, as Tufts lays claim to the first Massachusetts resident to cross the line.
Scott Loomis, a resident of Malden and currently in his second year at the Tufts University School of Medicine, was the 35th male to finish the race, clocking in at 2:28.48. However, Loomis was a 1994 graduate of - where else? - Williams, where he was a Nordic skier, giving the Ephs at least a partial stake in his success.
Around the NESCAC: This past weekend's NESCAC women's tennis action featured the most highly anticipated match of the season when the No. 3 Amherst Lord Jeffs hosted the No. 8 Williams Ephs. The competition between the two nationally ranked teams was dead-even, with Williams edging Amherst, 5-4. Senior Courtney Barlett and freshman Annie Hancock were instrumental in the win for the Ephs, winning at second and fourth singles, respectively, and teaming together for the win at third doubles to give the Ephs the doubles point. Amherst is seeded first in this weekend's NESCAC Championships, and Williams, which is hosting the event, is seeded second.
Williams also plays host to the men's championships this weekend, and like the women's team, the Ephs, ranked fifth nationally, have secured the second seed.
Middlebury, the fourth-ranked team in the nation, is the tournament's top seed.
