Men's Cross Country Looks For Strong Showing in PSAC's 50th Season

Aug. 31, 2007

Courtesy Will Adair, PSAC Associate Commissioner for External Relations

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The 2007 season looks to be another promising one for the men’s and women’s cross country teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. A deep pool of talent is showcased in the fact that 22 All-PSAC runners from 2006 – 10 men and 12 women – are back in the fold this year.

The next nine weeks will serve as a solid training session for the postseason action. The PSAC Championship is slated for October 27 at Kutztown University and the NCAA East Regional a week later at Lock Haven University. The 2007 NCAA Division II Championships will take place in Joplin, Mo., hosted by Missouri Southern University.

The PSAC meet will be especially significant for the men as they reach the distinctive milestone of the 50th annual championship. Competition for a men’s league title dates back to 1958 when West Chester won the first-ever Pennsylvania State Teachers College Athletic Conference championship at what was then known as Cheyney State.

The 50th season of men’s cross country could produce quite a battle from a team standpoint. It is expected that Lock Haven, winners of four straight titles, will get plenty of competition from both Edinboro and Slippery Rock.

The Bald Eagles cruised to a 55-point victory over runner-up Edinboro at last year’s PSAC Championship placing six runners in the top 16. However half of that contingent has departed, including Ryan Blood, a two-time PSAC champion who also won the regional title and placed fourth at the NCAA Championships in 2006. In order to repeat as conference champions, Lock Haven will need to get contributions from Shawn Moore (9th PSAC, 12th regional), Cory Spidell (10th, 15th) and 2006 PSAC Rookie of the Year Brandon Pomerantz (13th, 13th), as well as a strong recruiting class.

Edinboro has finished runner-up to Lock Haven each of the last four seasons, and will challenge again this year behind returning All-American Dave Niemira. Niemira, who placed sixth at both the PSAC and regional meets, should get help from Josh Arthur (11th, 18th) and Eric Brenner (17th, 20th), a pair who made significant strides last year. The Fighting Scots will also get a boost from Jon Moneyhon, Dan Field, Travis Prejean, and Nick Hankins, all of whom sat out 2006 after helping the team win the 2005 NCAA East Regional title.

Slippery Rock has bolstered a roster that featured little depth behind standout Jeff Weiss a year ago. Weiss, a two-time All-American, and PSAC and regional champion in 2005, will head the Rock pack again entering his junior year. He should receive help from West Virginia Wesleyan transfer Pat Reagan, who placed 11th at the 2006 regionals, as well as Matt Grey, who rebounded from a 34th-place at PSACs to finish 19th at regionals. Also expected to be a contender, Matt Bluman (9th PSAC, 8th regional in 2005) is coming off a redshirt season.

Mansfield is expected to make a significant leap from its 12th-place team finish a year ago, as standouts Chris Cummings and Josh Wooten return for their final seasons. Both have been postseason standouts, especially Cummings, who is a three-time All-PSAC performer.
Clarion transfer Chris Clark, who has placed 10th (2005) and third (2006) at the PSAC Championships the last two seasons, has joined the California squad, but will likely redshirt in 2007.

Other individuals who will vie again for postseason honors are: East Stroudburg’s Iuri Pinto (8th PSAC, 10th regional), Shippensburg’s Stephen Thompson (14th regional), West Chester’s Tommy Pearson (17th regional), IUP’s Nate Shelly (19th PSAC) and Millersville’s Andrew Butler (20th PSAC).

- Red Raider Cross Country -