The Orange open the 2011 campaign in Hamilton, N.Y. this weekend
Cross Country Opens 2011 At Harry Lang
9/2/2011 1:53:28 PM | Cross Country
The Syracuse cross country team will kick off the 2011 season this Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y. at the Harry Lang Invitational. The event, which begins at 11:00 a.m. on the Lang Cross Country Course, is the first of two consecutive races hosted by Colgate University. The SU men's team will look to build off its success from a 2010 season that saw the Orange win their second straight BIG EAST and NCAA Northeast Regional Championship, while the women's squad hopes to continue its surge after claiming back-to-back NCAA Northeast Regional crowns and finishing in a program-best 10th place at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Orange return 20 men's and 16 women's harriers from the 2010 squads, including a combined nine seniors. SU is led by Chris Fox, who is entering his seventh season as head coach of the Orange.
SU In The Polls:
The Syracuse men opened the 2011 season ranked second in the USTFCCCA Preseason Northeast Regional Poll, while the women were seeded fourth in their Northeast regional poll. In the national polls, the Orange men's team led six BIG EAST teams in the USTFCCCA Poll with a preseason ranking of 14th, with the women ranked 15th.
A Look Back At 2010:
SU cross country is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history. After claiming its first BIG EAST Championship in team history in 2009, the Orange men followed it up in 2010 with a second straight conference title, defeating Louisville by four points. One week later, the men secured its second consecutive NCAA Northeast Regional Championship, besting Iona for the second time in as many years. At the NCAA Championships, Syracuse matched its finish from 2009 with a 14th place finish, the highest of any BIG EAST school.
Pat Dupont became Syracuse's second All-American in as many seasons following his 33rd place finish at the national championships, concluding the 10K race with a time of 30:26.00. Dupont, Forrest Misenti and Steve Weeks earned All-BIG EAST and all-region honors in 2010, while Tito Medrano and Steve Murdock also garnered all-region honors.
Katie Hursey led the women's team to a third place team finish at the BIG EAST Championship, matching its finish from 2009. Hursey placed ninth overall in the race with a time of 21:15.10, earning All-BIG EAST honors along with Sarah Pagano. The women placed five harriers in the top-20 at the NCAA Northeast Regionals, led by Lauren Penney's ninth place finish in the 6K (20:20.30) earning the team's second straight regional title. SU carried momentum into nationals, where the women earned the highest finish in team history, placing 10th overall.
Five Orange women, Penney, Natalie Busby, Catherine DeSarle, Hursey, and Heather Stephens, all earned all-region honors in 2010.
Head coach Chris Fox and his staff were named the 2010 BIG EAST Men's Coaching Staff of the Year at the conference championships, and were also named U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Northeast Region Men's Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
The 2011 Campaign:
After back-to-back races in Hamilton, N.Y. (Sep. 3 and Sep. 17) to start the season, the Orange will then head to Bethlehem, Pa. to compete in the Paul Short Invitational for the first time since 2008 on September 30.
The Orange open October with a two-race weekend as the women's team will look to defend its 2010 title at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational on October 14. Katie Hursey finished third overall in the 6k last season in Madison, Wis. with a time of 20:17. Two days later, SU is slated to compete in Terre Haute, Ind. for Pre-Nationals.
In the final competition before the BIG EAST Championship, SU will run in the John Reif Memorial at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. The Syracuse women had six runners finish in the top 15 at last season's race while Joseph Bubniak led the Orange men with a fourth place finish overall at 26:17.40. Louisville will host the 2011 BIG EAST Cross Country Championship for the first time since 2007 on October 29 at the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park.
SU will travel to Buffalo, N.Y. looking to pick up a third regional title in as many seasons on November 12 before wrapping up its season on November 21 at the Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. for the NCAA Championships, hosted by Indiana State University.
Highlights | Women's ACC XC Championships
Friday, October 29
Highlights | ACC Men's XC Championship
Friday, October 29
'Cuse Connections - Olympics | Justyn Knight
Thursday, July 29
Highlights | ACC XC Championships
Friday, October 30
