CUMBERLAND, Maine  11/14/09 - From Appian Way to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.  The Keene State College men's cross country team is headed back to the Division III NCAA Championships at  Baldwin Wallace College just outside of Cleveland.

           The Owls earned their first berth since 2005 with a strong third-place finish at the NCAA New England Regional race held under gloomy skies at the Twin Brooks Recreation Center in Cumberland, Maine, on Saturday.

            It's been a long and winding road for the Owls, who missed qualifying for the nationals the past three years and finished a disappointing seventh at last season's regional meet.

            "It's just nice to be back on the right road again," said longtime KSC Coach Peter Thomas.  "We had a little bad luck in the past, but this team wouldn't be denied.  Everyone pulled for each other this year.  We had great team chemistry."

            Keene State used that chemistry on the trails today, finishing with 132 points.  The Owls have had good luck on the Cumberland course in the past, earning NCAA berths there in 2003 and 2004.

            For the second consecutive year, senior William Kosgey of the Williams College crossed the finish line first, leading the Ephs (53 points) to their second straight automatic NCAA berth. Amherst College placed second with 104 points.  

            Looking to join the KSC men at the NCAA Championships, the Owl women's team finished eighth overall with 277 points.  However, KSC will be represented in the women's NCAA race.   Sophomore Paige Mills (Keene, N.H.) earned an individual berth with her sixth- place finish. 

            Paige, who missed last year's regional race due to an injury, said it meant a lot to race well with a national berth on the line.  "It means the world.  I'm really excited," said Paige, who posted a time of 22:03 on the 6,000-meter course. "I just wish I had the whole team going with me."

            Senior Jared Samuel (Londonderry, N.H.) was the first member of the KSC men's team to cross the finish line, placing seventh with a time of 25:32 on the 8,000-meter course.  "It feels amazing," said Samuel, who qualified for the NCAAs as an individual his sophomore season.  "There's definitely a feeling of redemption after not qualifying the past three years."

           "Coach Thomas told us we were underdogs and no one expected us to do well," Samuel added.  "So we had to go out and prove them wrong."

            Juniors Eric MacKnight (Newtown, Conn.) and Jeff Trethewey (Merrimack, N.H.) placed 22nd (26:05) and 24th (26:06) respectively. Juniors Brandon Schillemat (Nelson, N.H.), who finished 36th (26:21), and Tim Pipp (Ipswich, N.H.), placing 43rd (26:28), round out the Owl scorers.

            Ranked sixth in New England, the Owls knew they had to move up a couple of spots to secure a national bid.  Samuel and Trethewey ran in the lead pack for half the race before slipping back and rallying for a strong finish. MacKnight, Schillemat, and Pipp were within strides of each other and used their collective energy to pass several runners and finish with a good kick. 

            "I don't know if it's sunk in yet?  I'm so excited," said Trethewey,  who will be going to nationals for the first time.  "I've been thinking about this since I was a freshman."

            "Everything went as planned," said MacKnight, who will also be making his initial trip to the nationals.  "We had good vibes and a good atmosphere from the moment we arrived.  Everyone was feeding off each other."

            Thomas said the key to race was the performance by Pipp.  With sophomore Kevin Hoyt (Newtown, N.H.) battling a cold all week, Pipp stepped up and had the best race of his college career.  "The difference was Pipp," said Thomas.  "If he doesn't rise to the occasion, we're staying home next weekend."

          "My teammates needed me and I was glad I was there for them," said Pipp.  "I knew what was on the line.  All I could think about was going to nationals.  This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me in college."

            The skies cleared for the women's race.  Not intimidated, Mills and senior Allison Chamberlain (Scarborough, Me.) started out strong.  "I run better in the big races," said Mills.

            KSC ran into problems around the two-mile mark.  Chamberlain had to drop out due to a persistent skin infection while Mills was hampered by a wrap around her leg that she was finally able to discard. 

            Sophomore Andrea Walsh (Bolton, Conn.) was the Owls' third runner, finishing 35th with a time of 22:55.  Junior Amy Knoblock (Plymouth, Mass.) placed 61st (23:30), freshman Maggie Fitter (Branford, Conn.) 63rd (23:33), and sophomore Haley Lydstone (Bedford, N.H.) was KSC's fifth runner, placing 112th (24:41).

            Middlebury College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology tied for the team title with 63 points each. MIT was paced by individual winner Jacqui Wentz, who had a winning time of 21:35.

          So put on your blue suede running shoes, Owls.  You were Born to Run.