On This Day in History | 1956

The ’56 Ivy League Champions | Sprague (4th from left)

On this day 54 years ago…

After completing a successful regular season, the boys’ cross country team won the sixth Ivy League Championship in program history and the second in a string of fifteen consecutive titles won by the Brook. Senior Dick Sprague paced the Blue and White over the 2.5-mile Van Cortlandt Park course in a time of 14:02. In what Res Gestae 1957 called “a thrilling finish,” Sprague reversed his fortunes from last year’s meet and defeated Horace Mann’s John Ronveaux.

STONY BROOK SETS PACE; Takes Cross-Country Title in Ivy Prep League
Richard Sprague paced Stony Brook to the team title yesterday in the seventh annual Ivy Prep School League cross-country championships at Van Cortlandt Park.
~ The New York Times

Team Scores

Stony Brook24.5
Horace Mann43.5
Hackley66
Poly Prep106
St. Paul’s150
Thus, for the fifth time in the seven years since the Ivy League Prep School League meet has been conducted, Stony Brook was the team winner.
~ December 1956 Stony Brook Bulletin

Leave a comment! GO BEARS!