Oct. 29, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle cross country teams, among the conference preseason favorites, head to the Atlantic 10 Championships on Saturday in Pittsburgh's Schenley Park.
The meet opens with the women's 5K at 9:00 AM, followed by the men's 8K at 9:45 AM. Admission is free to all fans.
The Explorer men, ranked eighth in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the latest USTFCCCA poll, head to Pittsburgh as the Atlantic 10 preseason favorites. The Explorers have put together a strong run through the regular season, including a team win at the Br. John "Paddy" Doyle/Iona College Meet of Champions.
Alfredo Santana led the Explorers with a 14th place finish in that race, helping the squad move up 10 spots in the rankings that week. 2008 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Nick Crits returns to the championship, after leading the Explorers at both Pre-Nationals and the Paul Short Run with a 25:03 time in both races. Also leading the Explorers is 2010 IC4A 10K champion Dave Hausherr, who has consistently been in the top three finishers for the Explorers.
The Explorer men face a tough field of competition as six other Atlantic 10 squads are ranked in the latest USTFCCCA regional poll. 2009 Most Outstanding Performer Chris Lemon of Dayton returns for his senior season, leading the Flyers who are ranked 10th in the Great Lakes region. Richmond, ranked eighth in the Southeast region, is led by seniors Andrew Benford and Matt Llano. The Explorers will also contend with crosstown foe Saint Joseph's (MA #15), which looks to defend its 2009 title and is led by 2009 runner-up Kevin McDonnell.
The Explorer women also look to make a splash in the conference run on Saturday, after being picked to finish fourth in preseason polling. They are currently ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region after very strong races in the regular season. The Explorers captured bronze at the Br. Doyle Meet of Champions as six runners placed in the top 25, led by Meghan Lutz's fifth place and Stephanie Bearish's sixth place finish.
The Explorers also finished strong as a team in the elite Pre-National Invitational and the Paul Short Run. Lutz led the Explorers with a top 75 finish at Pre-Nationals, which included eight of the top 30 teams in the national poll as well as many regionally ranked squads. Bearish was the top Explorer finisher at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State to open the season, posting a top 20 finish to help the Explorers to fourth place as team.
The Explorers have also enjoyed tremendous production from the freshmen, as Michelle Capozzi and Anne Areias have made an immediate impact on the squad. Areias earned Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors for her run at Penn State, where she finished 31st in her first collegiate race. Capozzi and Areias finished 19th and 20th, respectively, at the Br. Doyle Meet of Champions to help the squad to third place as a team.
The team also faces stiff competition on the Atlantic 10 course on Saturday. Preseason favorite Dayton, ranked 10th in the Great Lakes region, looks to defend its 2009 title. The Flyers return 2009 bronze medalist Maureen Bulgrin as well as all-conference runners Elissa Mason and Liz Coorey. Richmond, ranked fifth in the Southeast region, was picked to finish second and will be led by senior Nicol Traynor. Individually, George Washington's Megan Hogan looks to defend her individual title and Charlotte's Amanda Goetschius, who finished second last year, looks to propel the 49ers to the medal stands after being picked second in the preseason poll.
Stay tuned to GoExplorers.com for a full recap, results as well as video of Saturday's championship.
