Colonie High School Boys Cross Country Team (1962)

The Fall of 1962 saw Colonie’s Varsity Cross-Country team, guided by Coach Ed Springstead, tackle a demanding race schedule. The team’s efforts in early racing included:Grout Run (Schenectady ) Class A Group 2nd Place finish. St. John’s Invitational (Van Cortland Park-NYC) 3rd Place finish at this prestigious and deeply talented meet.E.J. Herrmann Invitational (Utica, NY) 5th Place finish in a deep field.The Team’s amazing streak began at the Suburban Council Championship on 10/9, with a 1st place finish.  On 10/26, the team won the Capital District Cross Country Meet, and on 11/3, it placed 1st in the Class A, Section II Cross Country Championship.As Section II Champions, the Colonie harriers went on to compete against the best Class A schools in the NYS Intersectional Meet in Watertown, NY.  On November 10, 1962, the team placed 1st again and was crowned “State Champions”, marking the first time any Colonie Central running team won a State Championship.  It was the crown jewel in an unbelievable season, and a feat still unmatched by any other Colonie Men’s Cross Country team.The State Championship team, led by Coach Springstead, consisted of:Bill Haas (FR)Bill Mathews (SO)Jake Haas (JR) Ed Green (JR)Paul Schmidt (JR)Peter Schmidt (JR)Ray Van Epps (SR)