Cross country co-captain Rick Yanashita ’26 has seen his consistency and focus pay off with a series of impressive races at the beginning of his final season. In recognition of his results, Yanashita was awarded the NESCAC Runner of the Week title after finishing sixth out of 284 runners at the Connecticut (Conn.) College Invitational in New London, Conn., on Saturday, Oct. 18. He ran the fastest time among the Ephs in the 8k race and set a new personal record of 24:16.8 at the meet.
Yanashita’s success at the Conn. College Invitational reflects his dedication to the sport, according to teammate Luke Zanuck ’26. “He’s very humble, but for everyone else, it was great to see because it’s a recognition of the work he’s put in,” he said.
Yanashita was first introduced to cross country in middle school, where he dabbled in distance running before leaving the sport behind upon entering high school in San Jose, Calif. But Yanashita couldn’t stay away from cross country for too long. He joined his high school team during his sophomore year and was recruited to race at the College by former coach Pete Farwell ’73 during his junior year.
Yanashita’s career as an Eph has been marked by injuries. “It’s been a battle up and down,” he said. “[I have] been injured for multiple seasons… Most of my injuries come from my Achilles [tendon], which is kind of a hard injury to navigate.”
Dealing with a chronic injury would stunt the development of any athlete, but Yanashita took the setback in stride and used the frustration to fuel his recovery, he said. He recognized the College’s athletic trainers as key contributors to his healing process. “Getting treated on a regular basis is really helpful and has been a big part of my injury success,” Yanashita said.
Dealing with a long-term injury has also taught Yanashita how to be in tune with his body. “Over the years, I’ve kind of caught on to what makes it worse, what makes it better, and what not to do in these situations,” he said. “[There are] a lot of tiny little factors that go into making it work.”
Coach Dusty Lopez echoed Yanashita’s sentiment. “Rick is thoughtful and meticulous when it comes to his training,” he said. “He has learned when to think less and just go for it. Not everyone can find this balance.”
This awareness has helped Yanashita support his teammates alongside co-captain Bradley St. Laurent ’26. “[Yanashita] is very driven [and] dedicated to the sport and to academics,” Zanuck said. “He really cares about the team, and the individuals, and them doing well. You could really see that he had a great vision for the team before being captain, and now is doing his best to make that [vision] come true and steer us in the right direction.”
Yanashita’s vision for the team is producing incredible results: The Ephs placed first out of 26 teams at the Keene State Invitational on Oct. 4, first at the Little Three Championship on Sept. 6, and first out of 18 teams at the James Earley Invitational on Oct. 11. Yanashita ran well at all meets, finishing 13th at Little Threes, then fifth overall at Keene State prior to his sixth place finish at the Conn. College Invitational. Yanashita progressed from the team’s sixth runner in his first race of the season at Little Threes to the Ephs’ top runner at Conn., an improvement that has impressed his teammates. “It just astounds me,” Zanuck said. “I know he’s good, but it’s crazy to see it posted all over Instagram.”
Yanashita dominated at the Conn. College Invitational by adopting a strategy he’s learned from his past three seasons as an Eph. “Personally, I was able to go out really hard in the beginning,” Yanashita said. “It’s painful to go that hard but it’s worth the price you pay, just to be clear of everyone and have space for yourself. By the end I realized I had much more energy than I thought I would and was really able to kick it in.”
Yanashita’s familiarity with the race course was integral to his performance. “I felt that I had run the course so many times that I knew where to kick it in when I felt good,” he said. “I was able to pass a lot of people in the last 800 meters and ended up running a pretty good time.” Yanashita’s self-described “pretty good time” was a remarkable 24 seconds faster than his personal record in 2024, earning him the NESCAC recognition.
Coming up next for the Ephs is the NESCAC Championships, hosted again by Conn. College. Then, they will compete in regionals, with the hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Div. III National Championship on Nov. 22. “Williams is a well-known name at Nationals and I just want to continue that legacy,” Yanashita said.
