Photo by: Mike Scott
Orange Men Tabbed Third in USTFCCCA Preseason Poll
8/29/2017 2:18:00 PM | Cross Country
Stacked with a roster featuring four returning All-Americans between cross country and track and field and five of the seven competitors returning from last year's NCAA Championships roster, the Syracuse men's cross country team is ranked No. 3 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Poll to start the year.
The top-three kept their same order from the national championship meet last season, with Northern Arizona collecting 349 points and seven first place votes to lead the way. Stanford (347 points, three first place votes) followed closely, with 'Cuse garnering 335 points and a first-place vote. Arkansas (324 points) and Colorado (323 points, one first place vote) round out the top-five.
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The Orange women received two votes in the preseason poll, a mark which is good for fourth in the ACC heading into the season.
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Led by Justyn Knight, a seven time All-American between cross country and track heading into his senior campaign, who's finished in the top-four at nationals in five of his last-six races for a national title. He enters 2017 coming off a ninth-place finish at the IAAF World Championships in London where he represented Canada. Knight won four of his five individual races last year and will look to defend his titles at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, ACC Championship and NCAA Northeast Regional, which he won before finishing second at the NCAA Championship.
Joining Knight is another decorated returner with six All-America nods between cross country and track is senior Colin Bennie. Bennie finished eighth at the NCAA Championships in 2015 and 17th a year ago and looks to turn in a third-straight All-America performance at nationals.
The unsung hero from the 2015 NCAA Championship squad, who's late push through the final 400-meters earned him All-America honors and his team the national title also returns for his senior campaign. Philo Germano is the third member of the Orange with an All-America honor under his belt in cross country to bolster the 2017 roster.
Joining the trio of returning cross country All-Americans is sophomore Aidan Tooker, who is coming off a track season that saw him earn Honorable Mention All-America honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase marking four returning All-Americans on the Orange roster.
'Cuse also has two other members of last year's seven-man championship roster from NCAAs where the team finished third returning as well. Junior Iliass Aouani and Sophomore Kevin James both raced at nationals last season in their first season with the Orange and look to improve on last year's performance. The duo also earned All-ACC honors a year ago.
Other returners looking to make an impact include Griffin Molino, who was on the ACC Championships roster last season, a trio of redshirt freshman – Dominic Hockenbury, Joe Dragon and Pierce Miller – eager to make their Orange debut and three true freshmen from a stout recruiting class.
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The women bolster a young roster that looks to build on the success from a stable of newcomers a season ago. Paige Stoner leads the way after serving as the Orange's top finisher at the ACC and NCAA Northeast Region meets and racing to All-America honors in the steeplechase on the track.
Madeleine Davison, Mary Malone, Shannon Malone, and Emma Wilson join Stoner in returning of last season's NCAA regionals roster.
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The first event of 2017 for 'Cuse will be the Harry Lang Invitational on Sept. 2, hosted by Colgate.
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The top-three kept their same order from the national championship meet last season, with Northern Arizona collecting 349 points and seven first place votes to lead the way. Stanford (347 points, three first place votes) followed closely, with 'Cuse garnering 335 points and a first-place vote. Arkansas (324 points) and Colorado (323 points, one first place vote) round out the top-five.
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The Orange women received two votes in the preseason poll, a mark which is good for fourth in the ACC heading into the season.
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Led by Justyn Knight, a seven time All-American between cross country and track heading into his senior campaign, who's finished in the top-four at nationals in five of his last-six races for a national title. He enters 2017 coming off a ninth-place finish at the IAAF World Championships in London where he represented Canada. Knight won four of his five individual races last year and will look to defend his titles at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, ACC Championship and NCAA Northeast Regional, which he won before finishing second at the NCAA Championship.
Joining Knight is another decorated returner with six All-America nods between cross country and track is senior Colin Bennie. Bennie finished eighth at the NCAA Championships in 2015 and 17th a year ago and looks to turn in a third-straight All-America performance at nationals.
The unsung hero from the 2015 NCAA Championship squad, who's late push through the final 400-meters earned him All-America honors and his team the national title also returns for his senior campaign. Philo Germano is the third member of the Orange with an All-America honor under his belt in cross country to bolster the 2017 roster.
Joining the trio of returning cross country All-Americans is sophomore Aidan Tooker, who is coming off a track season that saw him earn Honorable Mention All-America honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase marking four returning All-Americans on the Orange roster.
'Cuse also has two other members of last year's seven-man championship roster from NCAAs where the team finished third returning as well. Junior Iliass Aouani and Sophomore Kevin James both raced at nationals last season in their first season with the Orange and look to improve on last year's performance. The duo also earned All-ACC honors a year ago.
Other returners looking to make an impact include Griffin Molino, who was on the ACC Championships roster last season, a trio of redshirt freshman – Dominic Hockenbury, Joe Dragon and Pierce Miller – eager to make their Orange debut and three true freshmen from a stout recruiting class.
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The women bolster a young roster that looks to build on the success from a stable of newcomers a season ago. Paige Stoner leads the way after serving as the Orange's top finisher at the ACC and NCAA Northeast Region meets and racing to All-America honors in the steeplechase on the track.
Madeleine Davison, Mary Malone, Shannon Malone, and Emma Wilson join Stoner in returning of last season's NCAA regionals roster.
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The first event of 2017 for 'Cuse will be the Harry Lang Invitational on Sept. 2, hosted by Colgate.
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Players Mentioned
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Distance
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Distance
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