The Slippery Rock University men's cross country team has been selected to finish fourth at the PSAC Championships this season, as announced in the preseason coaches poll released Friday
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men’s cross country team has been picked to finish fourth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships, as announced Friday in the preseason coaches poll.
Defending PSAC and Atlantic Regional Champion Edinboro was selected to repeat, earning 12 first-place votes in the poll. Lock Haven was picked second with the remaining four first-place votes, followed by Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and Indiana (Pa.) to round out the top-five.
Anchored by the performances of All-American graduates
Jeff Weiss and
Pat Reagan, The Rock finished second at the PSAC Championships last season. Joining them in departing from the team this season will be
Kevin Dustin and
Evan Matthews, who were each among the top-seven finishers for the team last season.
With Weiss and Reagan out of the picture, the leadership of the team will fall to juniors
George Walton and
Jason Leonard, who were Slippery Rock’s third and fourth finishers at the PSAC meet last season, crossing the line in 16
th and 17
th-place, respectively. Joining them will be senior
Brian Ulrich, who was the sixth finisher last season, placing 38
th.
The only other returning athletes that ran at the PSAC Championships last season are junior
Matt Mumford and senior
Bradley Cubbage. Mumford placed 71
st overall, followed by Cubbage in 97
th. They will be joined as returners by senior
Kyle Botten.
Head Coach
John Papa, who enters his 23
rd season at the helm of The Rock program, will welcome eight incoming freshmen to cap the roster at 14 men.
The Rock will open its schedule next Saturday, Aug. 29, with the annual alumni cross country race held at Slippery Rock. The first official competition will take place Sept. 5, when the team travels to Bellingham, Wash. for the Lake Padden Relays. Slippery Rock will host its annual collegiate invitational on homecoming Saturday, Oct. 3, at Cooper’s Lake Campground.
The PSAC Championships are set for Oct. 31 at Edinboro and will be followed by the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships Nov. 7 in Mansfield and the NCAA National Championships Nov. 21 at Southern Indiana.
2009 PSAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Edinboro (12)
2. Lock Haven (4)
3. Shippensburg
4. Slippery Rock
5. IUP
6. East Stroudsburg
7. Bloomsburg
8. Mansfield
9. Millersville
10. Kutztown
11. California
12. West Chester
13. Mercyhurst
14. Gannon
15. Cheyney