PHILADELPHIA – Picked to finish first in the Atlantic 10 in the preseason coaches poll and sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Regional poll, the La Salle men's cross country squad sports a deep and talented returning group of runners primed improve on its third place conference finish last season.

Depth is the name of the game for the Explorers, who return five of their top seven finishers from the A-10 Championships in 2012. Vince Perozze placed 19^th at the event while Jimmy Murphy came in 42^nd. Ben Pershall, Nico Greco, and Ian Barnhill each registered top-60 finishes and augment a well-balanced Blue and Gold attack. Nick Ross did not compete at last year's championships but notched a top-20 finish at the event in 2011 and brings an all-conference pedigree to the mix.

The Explorers open their season on Saturday at the Lehigh Invitational and return to Bethlehem, Pa. on October 5 for the Paul Short Run. La Salle's visit to Princeton on October 19 is the squad's only out-of-state visit until the A-10 Championships in November, hosted by Richmond.