With the Bowdoin cross country course packed with nearly 800 cheering spectators this weekend, the men’s cross country squad placed third in the NESCAC Championship, coming in behind Bates and Tufts. 
The Polar Bears went into the championship seeded third and ranked eleventh in D-III. The NESCAC is widely considered the strongest conference in D-III, with five teams currently in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association top 25. Five NESCAC teams also finished in the top 15 at Nationals last year.
At the championship, the Polar Bears had only a 60-second spread between the top five runners.
Coby Horowitz ’14 earned the men’s individual title, beating out Tuft’s top runner by only half of a second and a two meter berth. 
Sam Seekins ’14 was Bowdoin’s second runner to finish, moving up from sixth to fifth place in the final straightaway. Seekins was the first number-two runner to cross the finish line.
Both Kevin Hoose ’15 and Greg Talpey ’14 earned personal-best times. 
“Greg ran a really smooth race—he keeps his poise in the big races,” said Coach Peter Slovenski.
The team is preparing for the upcoming NCAA Regional. Slovenski said that in addition to practicing faster intervals, “the team needs to get rest—we look strong, but we need to get faster.”