Cumberland, ME  - For the second consecutive year, the Williams College men's cross country team finished first at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship, earning the Ephs their second straight automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship race. 

Lasell College participated in the 48 team race hosted by University of Southern Maine at the Twin Brook Recreational Center in Cumberland, Maine, competing with over 320 total runners.   Six Laser men finished the 8000-meter race, clocking an average time of 30 minutes, 22.5 seconds. 

The Lasers were led by freshman Matthew Scully (Watertown, CT) who notched a time of 28:49.3 on the 8K.  Second for Lasell was senior Zachary Lambert (Marlborough, MA).  Lambert covered the five mile course in 29 minutes, 59.7 seconds.

Kris McCabe (Kingston, NY) completed the meet with a time of 30:32.2, making the junior athlete Lasell's third finisher on the difficult and rainy NCAA course.  Miguel Taveras (Lawrence, MA), David Walsh (Springfield, MA), and Raymon Donis (Raynham, MA) were the final three Lasers to finish the course.   Taveras clocked a time of 31:05.0, Walsh was just 21 seconds behind with a time of 31:26.0, and Donis ended shortly thereafter with a time of 31:48.7.

The Amherst College Lord Jeffs finished second to the Ephs with a team score of 104 points, earning the second New England Regions' qualifier spot.  Williams College and Amherst College automatically qualify to represent the New England Region at the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championship on Saturday, November 21.