Jeff Hale of Waterville, Maine, on Nationally Ranked Team, Is Featured in Colby Magazine

2014 Nov 7

Jeff Hale was featured in the fall 2014 Colby Magazine article "A Winning Community" as a member of the nationally ranked men's cross-country team at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Hale, a physics major and member of the Class of 2015, is the son of Gregory and Pamela Hale of Waterville and attended Waterville High School.

The team was in need of a lift when Jared Beers, Colby Class of 2001, took over as coach in 2006. He worked on changing the culture from one focused on individuals to one where community comes first. Hale and teammates answered the call--in October and November the Colby Mules were ranked sixth in the nation among Division III schools by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, and for a time they were first in New England.

With a no-cut policy, the team has 35 runners this season. Coach Beers says they are all committed to their roadwork and they all understand they're integral to the team.

It was the team's focus on camaraderie that sold Hale, now a co-captain, on joining. “I discovered I wanted to be part of this,” he said.

Founded in 1813, Colby College is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the nation. Colby provides a rigorous academic program that fosters transformational relationships between students and faculty. Graduates emerge as leaders ready to make an impact on their world. Colby is committed to making the full experience accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their ability to pay. The college enrolls 1,825 students.