The 2001 Bates College men's cross country team will look to rebound to their 1999 form, when the Bobcats finished third at the competitive NESCAC championship meet and 10th in the nation, the team's best performance ever. The Bobcats will be led by three-time Maine Class C state cross country champion Justin Easter '03 (Jay, Maine). As a rookie, Easter won his first collegiate race before missing much of the season with an injury. As a sophomore, All-America status narrowly eluded Easter during the cross country season, when he finished 37th at the NCAA championships. Easter continued a remarkable string in the winter and spring seasons, reaching the NCAA skiing and outdoor track and field championships, earning a second career All-America honor in the steeplechase. A co-captain in 2001 along with senior Ben Bruce '02 (Malvern, Pa.), Easter will focus on helping the team earn its second berth at the national championships in three years. Junior Malcolm Gray '03 (Bronxville, N.Y.), who finished 21st at the NESCAC championships with one of his top career performances, will continue to be a top contributor, while a talented group of first-year student-athletes will likely have a significant impact as well.

Preseason begins August 28th with the 29th Annual Alumni Meet on campus three days later. Bates' schedule features multi-team meets against the best programs in New England, leading up to the State of Maine, Open New England, NESCAC and NCAA championships. The Bobcats' annual goal is to be among the best teams regionally and nationally in Division III. Bates runs its home meets at Springbrook Golf Club in nearby Leeds, which provides varied terrain and is popular with both the Bobcats and their opponents.

The 1998 New England Division III indoor track and field Coach of the Year, Al Fereshetian (afereshe@bates.edu) is a 1983 graduate of the University of New Hampshire. He was an assistant for the women's track and field team at UNH before assisting at the University of Kansas from 1984 to 1988. As head coach at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., from 1989 to 1995, Fereshetian's men's cross country teams won the Southern Conference championship three times and placed fifth in the 1994 National Invitational at Penn State. Also in 1994, his teams were ranked 20th nationally in Division I. Fereshetian has earned three conference cross country coach-of-the-year honors and four track and field coach-of-the-year awards.

	©2001 Bates College. All Rights Reserved. Last modified: 6/29/01 by asl