Nationally Ranked Men's Cross Country Squad Set To Begin Defense Of Northeast-10, NCAA Regional Titles Saturday Morning As 10th-Ranked Skyhawks Participate In Connecticut College Invitational

September 8, 2006

After posting back-to-back Northeast-10 Conference championships and capturing its first-ever NCAA Northeast Regional crown last fall, the Stonehill men's cross country team is poised to make yet another run at both titles and continued prominence at the national level.

Head Coach Karen Boen welcomes back a plethora of experience into the Skyhawk fold in 2006, as 11 letterwinners dot the veteran roster as preparations continue for the upcoming campaign. Among those 11 letterwinners are five all-conference and all-regional performers, including the program's third All-America runner, as well as an experienced group that will push Stonehill towards greater heights.

The Class of 2008 will continue to play a major role in the Skyhawks' success, as 10 of the 13 letterwinners returning are from the junior class. Leading the way is junior All-America David Metzger (Ellington, Conn./Ellington), who became Stonehill's third All-America performer last fall with a 24th place individual finish at the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championships in Chino, Calif. Metzger added a pair of fourth place finishes at the Northeast-10 and NCAA Northeast Regional championships to earn all-conference and all-regional accolades as well.

Fellow juniors Khalid Abdi (Brockton, Mass./Brockton), Dickie Gerry (Bow, N.H./Bow) and Joe Ryan (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) also return to the fold for Boen after earning all-league and all-regional honors last fall. Abdi, the 2004 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year, finished third in both the Northeast-10 and NCAA Northeast Regional competitions, while Gerry and Ryan combined for top-11 finishes in both events to earn all-conference and all-regional accolades. Senior Tim Catoggio (Bradford, Mass./Haverhill), the lone member of the Class of 2007 to dot Stonehill's veteran roster, is the fifth member of the all-conference and all-regional club, as he enjoyed a career-best 12th place performance at the NCAA Northeast Regionals while earning third team all-Northeast-10 honors.

The junior class will provide great experience for Boen to rely upon once again this fall, and the return of junior Keith Gill (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) to cross country competition will certainly bolster Stonehill's chances. Gill, who has missed most of each of his first two cross country campaigns due to injury, is looking to continue the momentum from his outdoor track performance of last spring that saw him become the first Skyhawk men's All-America performer in the sport. Additional experience will come from juniors Ryan Gattoni (East Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich), Chris Rich (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson), Andy Schaalman (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) and Kyle Sousa (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth).

Sophomore Matt Meagher (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) will also be looking to help bolster the Skyhawk fortunes after gaining experience during his rookie campaign last fall, while freshmen Josh Andrews (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford), Phil Finnance (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury), Mike Prisby (Agawam, Mass./Springfield Cathedral) and Matt Rigby (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) will be looking to contribute as newcomers in 2006.