Syracuse Races for a National Title on Saturday
11/21/2014 9:30:00 AM | Cross Country
No. 2 Orange men enter the race with its highest ranking in program history.
On Saturday, the No. 2 Syracuse men and No. 25 Syracuse women will head to the start line of the NCAA Championships looking for history. A top-10 finish from the men would be just the second since 1957 and a top-10 finish from the women would be their second ever. The men specifically have their sights higher, as the Orange enters the race with its highest rank in program history in search of its first National Championship since 1951.
Ranking the Orange
- The Syracuse men enter the ACC Championship with its highest ranking in program history at No. 2
- Prior to this season, the highest the men had ever been ranked was No. 7 since the USTFCCCA poll began.
- The women enter the weekend ranked No. 25. They peaked at No. 12 this season which was also its highest ranking since the start of the USTFCCCA poll.
Depth is the Key
- The Syracuse men dominated a highly-ranked field in Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Meet of Champions and earned its second-straight ACC Title by utilizing its depth.
- The Orange placed all-five of its scorers inside of the top-24 en route to winning the event by a total of 69 points at Wisconsin, and put eight runners in the top-19 at the ACC Championships last month.
- Comparing the results from Boston and Wisconsin truly showcase the Syracuse depth as senior Reed Kamyszek finished second at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown, but fell to seventh at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite and eighth at the ACC Championships.
All they Do is Win
- The Syracuse men successfully defended its ACC Crown on Halloween, completing its fifth conference title in the last six seasons.
- Syracuse rolled to the title by putting eight runners in the top-19 at the Panorama Farms Course in Charlottesville, Va.
- The Orange also won the NCAA Northeast Regional, Wisconsin Meet of Champions and Harry Lang Invitational this year.
- The only meet the Orange haven't won with its roster that will be competing this weekend was when Syracuse placed second to No. 3 Oregon at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown in September. The Orange has won its last three meets.
Malone Looking for Another Strong Performance
- Junior Margo Malone was the women's top finisher for Syracuse last season at the NCAA Championships, finishing 49th overall.
- She finished the course last season in 20:53.5.
- Malone was Syracuse's top female finisher in each race she has competed since the beginning of October.
Looking for History
- When the Syracuse men head to the starting line on Saturday, they'll be looking to do something that hasn't been done in over 60 years.
- A National Championship would be the program's first since 1951.
- In fact, last year's 10th place finish was the best finish at the NCAA Championships since the team took 4th in 1957.
- If the men run to their rank, it'll be the best finish in exactly 60 years.
- The women's team has one top-10 finish. a 10th place finish in 2010.
Can't Handle Hehir
- Junior Martin Hehir has been the Orange's top runner this season and is no stranger to the front of the pack, but after his 113th-place finish at last year's NCAA Championships, he's looking to get closer to the front in 2014.
- Hehir has been the top Syracuse runner in each race he has competed in this season.
Knight Time
- One key addition to the Orange has been freshman Justyn Knight -- who entered Syracuse coming off an eighth place finish in the 5,000-meters at the World Junior Championships -- was the second member of the Orange to cross the finish line at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational, and first freshman overall to cross the line at the meet.
- Knight was the third 'Cuse runner across the line at the ACC Championships.
- He hasn't been running competitively for a full four years yet as he took up the sport midway through his sophomore year of high school.
Straneva Coming on Strong
- Senior Max Straneva has quietly been closing in as the second runner behind Hehir as the season has worn on.
- Straneva was the third Syracuse runner behind Hehir and Knight at Wisconsin and second (third overall) at the ACC Championships.
- He did not compete last weekend at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in preparation for the NCAA Championships.
- Senior Max Straneva has quietly been closing in as the second runner behind Hehir as the season has worn on.
- Straneva was the third Syracuse runner behind Hehir and Knight at Wisconsin and second (third overall) at the ACC Championships.
- He did not compete last weekend at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in preparation for the NCAA Championships.
Ranking the Orange
- The Syracuse men enter the ACC Championship with its highest ranking in program history at No. 2
- Prior to this season, the highest the men had ever been ranked was No. 7 since the USTFCCCA poll began.
- The women enter the weekend ranked No. 25. They peaked at No. 12 this season which was also its highest ranking since the start of the USTFCCCA poll.
Depth is the Key
- The Syracuse men dominated a highly-ranked field in Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Meet of Champions and earned its second-straight ACC Title by utilizing its depth.
- The Orange placed all-five of its scorers inside of the top-24 en route to winning the event by a total of 69 points at Wisconsin, and put eight runners in the top-19 at the ACC Championships last month.
- Comparing the results from Boston and Wisconsin truly showcase the Syracuse depth as senior Reed Kamyszek finished second at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown, but fell to seventh at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite and eighth at the ACC Championships.
All they Do is Win
- The Syracuse men successfully defended its ACC Crown on Halloween, completing its fifth conference title in the last six seasons.
- Syracuse rolled to the title by putting eight runners in the top-19 at the Panorama Farms Course in Charlottesville, Va.
- The Orange also won the NCAA Northeast Regional, Wisconsin Meet of Champions and Harry Lang Invitational this year.
- The only meet the Orange haven't won with its roster that will be competing this weekend was when Syracuse placed second to No. 3 Oregon at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown in September. The Orange has won its last three meets.
Malone Looking for Another Strong Performance
- Junior Margo Malone was the women's top finisher for Syracuse last season at the NCAA Championships, finishing 49th overall.
- She finished the course last season in 20:53.5.
- Malone was Syracuse's top female finisher in each race she has competed since the beginning of October.
Looking for History
- When the Syracuse men head to the starting line on Saturday, they'll be looking to do something that hasn't been done in over 60 years.
- A National Championship would be the program's first since 1951.
- In fact, last year's 10th place finish was the best finish at the NCAA Championships since the team took 4th in 1957.
- If the men run to their rank, it'll be the best finish in exactly 60 years.
- The women's team has one top-10 finish. a 10th place finish in 2010.
Can't Handle Hehir
- Junior Martin Hehir has been the Orange's top runner this season and is no stranger to the front of the pack, but after his 113th-place finish at last year's NCAA Championships, he's looking to get closer to the front in 2014.
- Hehir has been the top Syracuse runner in each race he has competed in this season.
Knight Time
- One key addition to the Orange has been freshman Justyn Knight -- who entered Syracuse coming off an eighth place finish in the 5,000-meters at the World Junior Championships -- was the second member of the Orange to cross the finish line at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational, and first freshman overall to cross the line at the meet.
- Knight was the third 'Cuse runner across the line at the ACC Championships.
- He hasn't been running competitively for a full four years yet as he took up the sport midway through his sophomore year of high school.
Straneva Coming on Strong
- Senior Max Straneva has quietly been closing in as the second runner behind Hehir as the season has worn on.
- Straneva was the third Syracuse runner behind Hehir and Knight at Wisconsin and second (third overall) at the ACC Championships.
- He did not compete last weekend at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in preparation for the NCAA Championships.
- Senior Max Straneva has quietly been closing in as the second runner behind Hehir as the season has worn on.
- Straneva was the third Syracuse runner behind Hehir and Knight at Wisconsin and second (third overall) at the ACC Championships.
- He did not compete last weekend at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in preparation for the NCAA Championships.
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