This past weekend, the men’s track team competed at home in the NESCAC championships. Out of the 11-team field, Amherst finished sixth with a final score of 36.

Finishing in front of the purple and white were Williams, Tufts, Middlebury, Bates and Bowdoin.
As he has all season, sophomore Mohamed Hussein impressed in the 5,000-meter run. He finished the race in 14:50.98 to claim third place out of 30 runners from all around the NESCAC.

Joining Hussein in notching a top-three finish was senior Jeff Seelaus. In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Seelaus finished in a blistering 9:30.80 to claim third place out of the 20 runners.

Adding to the significance of this performance, his finishing time was 10 seconds faster than the one he was seeded for, representing a marked improvement as the season has progressed.

Besides these top finishers, the purple and white had many runners who earned points for the team. In the 100-meter dash, senior Thomas Matthew earned three points for the purple and white by finishing in sixth place with a time of 11.24.

In the 800-meter run, sophomore Chris Butko earned five points with a 1:51.98 finish. In the same race, senior Brent Harrison earned Amherst two points by finishing in 1:55.51. In the 10,000-meter run, senior Dan Crowley finished with a time of 31:23.15, good for four points.

In recognition of their efforts, both Seelaus and Hussein were named to the 2016 All-NESCAC team. They earned this honor through their top-three finishes at the NESCAC championships.

The team will return to the track this Friday and Saturday, May 6-7, for the two-day New England Championships at Sprinfield College.