Cross Country Squads Get National Billing

New Orleans, La. - Karen Boen's cross country squads have both received national preseason rankings it was announced on Wednesday by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association.

On the men's side, the Skyhawks are ranked 15th in the country and second in the East behind Northeast-10 rival, UMass-Lowell, while the women open 2008 ranked 22nd nationally and No. 1 in the East Region.

After sharing the Northeast-10 title and capturing the regional crown a season ago, the men return a plethora of talent, headlined by 2007 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year, Kevin Gill (Brockton, Mass.). Gill, who earned first-team all-conference accolades after finishing sixth at the conference championship, is joined by all-conference honorees Josh Andrews (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Matt Meagher (Mansfield, Mass.).

In addition to that trio, Keith Gill (Brockton, Mass.) returns for his senior campaign after missing all of the 2007 season with an injury. In his last full season in 2006, he earned All-America honors after leading the Skyhawks to a tenth place finish at the NCAA Championships.

The women, meanwhile, claimed both the Northeast-10 and Northeast Regional crowns for the second straight season and return seven all-conference honorees from a season ago.

Senior Kristina Coriaty (Brockton, Mass.) returns for her senior season after a junior year that saw her earn both all-conference (first team) and all-region honors. Two sophomores, Kelly O'Toole (Nashua, N.H.) and Amanda Tripodi (Darien, Conn.), are back after earning, first and third team all-conference honors respectively, as freshmen.

Seniors Jenny Gardynski (Everett, Mass.), Jackie Oates (South Easton, Mass.) and juniors Andrea Topalis (Simsbury, Conn.) and Meaghan Murphy (North Conway, N.H.) are the other returning Northeast-10 All-Stars for the Skyhawks, with Gardynski having earned all-region honors.

Both Stonehill squads open their season on Saturday, September 6 at the Trinity Invitational