Cross Country Season Preview

Saturday, September 5

Hamilton, N.Y.

11:30 a.m.

Syracuse University

Harry Lang Invitational

9/4/2015 11:05:00 AM | Cross Country

The Orange look to kick off the year on Saturday

The No. 3 Syracuse men's cross country team and No. 17 Syracuse women's cross country team are set to open the 2015 season on Saturday at the Harry Lang Invitational, an event both teams are defending champions of after sweeping the top-five places in each race last season.

The Orange men return five of its top-seven racers from last season's NCAA Championships, including All-American and ACC Individual Champion Martin Hehir. In addition to Hehir, Dan Lennon, Justyn Knight, Joel Hubbard and Colin Bennie are set to lead the Orange into 2015.

Hehir was named ACC Performer of the Year, while Knight was the top-rookie finisher at the ACC Championships last season. Lennon, Knight Bennie and Hubbard all earned All-ACC honors last season as each finished in the top-15 at the ACC Championships.

'Cuse also returns a wealth of experience in addition to seniors Hehir and Lennon on last year's national's roster, Joseph Kush, Andrew Bennison and Juris Silenieks are heading into their senior season with Keyvn Hoyos joining Hubbard as the roster's returning juniors.

The Orange also has a number of student-athletes in their second season at 'Cuse, with sophomores Bennie, Knight, Philo Germano, Robert Hall, Andrew Paladino, Nick Ryan and Shawn Wilson poised to continue their success. They're joined by redshirt freshmen Mickey Burke and T.J. Hornberger.

Syracuse added junior transfer Adam Palamar and freshmen Kevin James, Griffin Molino and Simon Smith to the defending ACC Champions roster for 2015. Palamar posted one of the nation's-fastest 1500-meter run times during indoor track while at Tulsa.

The women's team will once again be led by junior Margo Malone and three other student-athletes who competed at the NCAA Championships last season. Senior Maura Linde, juniors Rebecca Skodis and Fiona Hendry and sophomore Sydney Leiher bring NCAA Championships experience back from last year, as well as junior Meredith Speakman who missed last season due to injury, but was a key component of the 2013 team.

Malone reached the podium at the ACC Championships last season before going on to win the ACC Championship in the 10k at the outdoor track championships and earning All-America honors at the NCAA Championships in the event last spring.

Shaylyn Tuite and Beth Wright are the other two seniors on the Orange roster this year, with juniors Karina Ernst and Emily Nist also providing upperclassman experience this season.

The Orange is also looking to get strong performances from Stephanie Bitcon, Mary Malone, Shannon Malone, Sabrina Olsen, Chelsie Pennello and Kellee McCann from last year's freshman class who each return for their second year at Syracuse.

Joining them is a pair of newcomers, led by graduate student transfer Cassia Hameline, who ran at St. Lawrence University for three years. Alexandra Cooper also joins the Orange as a freshman from Rush-Henrietta High School.

The 2015 season gets underway at the Harry Lang Invitational at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y.