Men's Cross Country 2003 Outlook

Team Aims for Fourth Consecutive CAA title; Seventh Straight NCAA Appearance

08/22/03 12:00PM

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - In 2002, William and Mary men’s cross country squad again proved that it is among the best teams in the nation. The Tribe finished 14th at the NCAA Championships, first in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships and second at both the NCAA Southeast Regional and the Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association of America (IC4A) Championships. The Tribe swept the 2002 CAA men’s cross country awards, earning Athlete of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. With one All-America, seven all-conference, five all-region, and two All-East honorees, the Tribe looks to be well prepared for another successful year.

On a team where strong performances are expected, the combination of proven distance runners, up-and-coming superstars and talented newcomers is anticipated to take the 2003 cross country team to new levels. The Tribe appears ready to take on the challenge and, once again, compete amongst the nation’s elite program.

“My expectation is we can continue the level of success this team has experienced in the past,” new head coach Alex Gibby said. “We can take the foundation of last season and assert ourselves even more, with our ultimate goal being a top-10 finish at the NCAAs.”

The Tribe returns five runners with experience competing in the NCAA Championships. Graduate student Ed Moran, senior Adam Otstot, juniors Charlie Hurt and Matt Maline and sophomore Matt Keally are expected to anchor this year’s W&M team. Moran compiled a bevy of accolades in his 2002 season. The CAA Athlete of the Year, Moran scored his second All-America honor in cross country by finishing 30th at the NCAA Championships, leading the team to 14th place. Moran was also the runner-up at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet. During the track season, Moran captured another All-America honor by finishing fifth in the 5,000m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and was also named the CAA Male Athlete of the Year in track. Maline, who redshirted the 2002 season, was the CAA’s 2001 Rookie of the Year. He placed third at the 2001 conference championships, earning all-conference honors, and finished among the top freshmen at the NCAA Southeast Regional, placing 40th. On the track, he broke a 24-year-old freshman school record in the 3,000m. Following in Maline’s footsteps, Keally was awarded the conference’s 2002 Rookie of the Year honor. An up-and-coming national-caliber athlete, he was the top freshman finisher at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships, where he placed 24th, earning all-region honors. He then went on to place 113th at the NCAA Championships as the Tribe’s third finisher. In his freshman campaign on the track, Keally broke the indoor freshman school record in the 5,000m, shaving nearly 30 seconds off of the mark and narrowly missing the NCAA provisional qualifying time. For his performance Keally was named the CAA Rookie of the Year in track. Hurt, also an all-region honoree, placed 25th in the regional championships and achieved an eighth-place finish at the conference championships, earning all-conference honors. Otstot was the Tribe’s sixth runner at the NCAA Championships and earned all-conference honors after finishing in the top-12 at the CAA championships.

Senior Brendan Gaffney looks to show improvement and contribute in his final cross country season. A solid runner, Gaffney earned All-East honors after placing ninth at the IC4A Championships as the Tribe’s top finisher. Barely missing all-conference honors, he placed 14th at the CAA Championships.

A solid class of juniors is expected to improve and help the Tribe finish among the top in the nation. Along with Hurt and Maline, the junior class has the experience to do so. Trevor Cable placed 16th at the CAA Championships and was the sixth runner for the Tribe at the IC4As. Patrick Comstock finished in the top-35 in four races in 2002, while Jesse Contario was a contributor in the Tribe’s second-place finish at the IC4A Championships. Jeff Hedley was the Tribe’s fourth runner at the IC4A Championships, finishing 33rd at the meet. He also crossed the finish line in ninth at both the Cavalier Open and the Lou Onesty Invitational. Paul Costello and Kyle Pawlaczyk both redshirted the 2002 season and will look to continue to improve and contribute in 2003. Costello finished tenth at the Lou Onesty Invitational in 2001, while Pawlaczyk competed for the Tribe at both the CAA and IC4A championships two years ago.

Back for the 2003 season, the sophomore class looks to build upon a successful freshman campaign. Keally will lead the sophomore class with his national-level experience, while three sophomores have experience competing in regional-level competition. Brian Doherty was the fifth Tribe runner to cross the finish line at the IC4A Championships, placing 38th. He also finished sixth at the Cavalier Open and 13th at the Tribe Open. Mike Dominguez saw limited action in 2002, competing in only the first two meets of the year with a top finish of 36th in the Paul Short Open Race. Jason Schoener, who had a great track season, competed at both the CAA and IC4A cross country championships his freshman year. Billy Bylund, who did not compete as a freshman, will look to improve and contend for the Tribe
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Complementing these veterans, a talented incoming class will provide further depth for the team. Included in the outstanding rookie crop are Thomas Antenucci, Anthony Arena, Keith Bechtol, Ben Beiter, Steve Hoogland, David Hryvniak, Spencer Kirk, David Murphy, Daniel Nally, Joel Parker, Jonna Reinhardt, Adam Tenerowicz and Timothy Zeckser.

“We’ve got a very good team. Being fronted by a three-time All-American, we have a solid group of upperclassmen who are positioned to do well. And this is probably our deepest freshman class ever, and they can make an immediate impact,” Gibby concluded.

Returning numerous runners with national and regional level experience and introducing a promising group of newcomers, the 2003 W&M men’s cross country squad looks to continue the tradition of success at the national level. With a pedigreed team, the team goals of capturing the CAA crown and improving on their success at the NCAA Championship are within reach.