Posted: Oct 25, 2011
New Paltz will host some of the best distance runners in the state of New York and the country as the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships take place on Saturday October 29, beginning at 11 a.m. with the 6k women's race followed by the 8k men's race at 12 p.m. Ten schools will take on the course laid out over Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls with the goal of hoisting the SUNYAC Championship trophy in triumph.
The Geneseo women, ranked sixth nationally and first in the Atlantic Region, are looking to reclaim the team title after being dethroned last year by two points to Cortland. The Knights won ten consecutive SUNYAC titles from 2001-2010 and list several returners who placed in the top 20 last year.
Senior Alyssa Smith placed third a year ago and is joined by a trio, Danae Polsin, Mary Aldridge and Ashley Jones, who finished 10th-12th. Other challengers from Geneseo’s squad will include Emily Sullivan who place 16th in 2010 and ninth in 2009 and Brigid Heenan who took 18th last year and sixth two years ago. Junior Marissa Liberati is the defending individual champion but has not raced yet this season, so she may be a hidden threat come lineup time.
Stefanie Braun will pace regionally (4) and nationally (15) ranked Plattsburgh. Braun did not compete in the 2010 championship but placed in the top 15 the prior two years. She has led the Cardinals in each meet this fall and is coming off a season best time of 21:45 two weeks ago. Braun has been named the SUNYAC women’s cross country runner of the week twice this season. The Cardinals also return four additional runners who finished in the top 20 last year; senior Brittany Trahan (8), Colleen Cotey (14), Kelley Driscoll (15) and Julia Warren (19).
Senior Alyson Dalton returns to lead Cortland and is hoping for her first individual win after finishing runner-up in 2010 and fifth in 2009. Dalton has been named the SUNYAC women’s cross country runner of the week two times this season. Junior Jordyn Naylon will be looking to build upon her seventh place finish and hopefully earn a spot in the Cross Country Hall of Fame with another top-ten performance. Sophomore Dayna Eikeseth was one of three rookie runners to finish in the top 15 and will look to challenge the lead pack.
Oneonta’s Lauren Brunetto and New Paltz’s Nichole Wischoff are two additional runners to watch for. Brunetto ran to a fifth place finish a year ago earning first team-all-conference and Hall of Fame honors, while Wischoff is hoping to improve her 17th place finish.
On the men’s side the top ten will look quite different in part to graduation. The Geneseo men hope to repeat as SUNYAC champions and have the only returning runners from the top ten. The Knights will look to senior Lee Berube to lead the pack as the two-time defending individual champion. If Berube was to win again it would be the third time in SUNYAC history an individual has won three straight (Bob Lalley, Cortland – 63, 64, 65 and Art Gunther, Binghamton – 90, 91, 92). The Knights stand second in the Atlantic Regional rankings and earned a No. 13 national ranking.
Seniors Eddie Novara and Mark Streb return for the Knights, earning All-SUNYAC honors last year after finishing fourth and 11th, respectively. Sophomore Patrick Wortner also returns after a ninth place performance in his rookie campaign. Wortner can earn Hall of Fame status should he finish in the top ten for the second time.
Cortland, regionally ranked fifth and nationally ranked #30, has one runner returning from the top 20 in junior Brendan Ward who placed 19th a year ago. The Red Dragons are a young squad and will hope that inexperience and rookie nerves won’t be a factor come race day. Freshman Nick Marcantonio has been a top runner for Cortland so far this season and will look to push the lead pack.
Leading Plattsburgh, ranked No. nine in the region, will be juniors Ryan Millar and Chris Martin. Millar and Martin earned second team all-conference honors in 2010 and will look to make a push into the top 10 this year. Senior James Bondi and Josh Mitchell
Other top runners will be Fredonia’s Peter Francia, Oneonta’s John Longo and Oswego’s Dylan Hardwick.
