On this day 60 years ago, the boys’ cross country team won a third consecutive Ivy League Championship in historic fashion.

After one of the finest seasons in Stony Brook cross country history, it seemed unlikely that the 1957 crew, led by a lone senior in captain Freeman Barnes, could match the exploits of the ’56 squad who dominated the Ivy League Championship and ran roughshod over everyone but the West Point plebes.

In the end, the young harriers did not match them. They surmounted them. The season began with a sweep of the rivals from Brooklyn on “Beat Poly!” Day and in the following weeks resounding victories over the NYU freshman and Adelphi gave the team a 3-0 record heading into the Ivy League Championship. The script remained unchanged for Stony Brook’s foes as the Brookers ran away with a third straight Ivy Title of what would become a streak of 15. In the most dominant performance ever seen in the race, Stony Brook swept the championship as Tonnie Coane took first followed in quick succession by Barnes, Robin Lingle, Ray Searby and Lee Reineke.

STONY BROOK WINS IVY HARRIER TITLE; L.I. School Sweeps First 5

Sweeping the first five places, Stony Brook gained its third straight Ivy League cross-country championship yesterday at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx.

~ The New York Times

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