Stonehill aims to repeat as NE10 and East Regional Champions with top rankings
Demeule is one of five returners that competed at the NCAA Championships last year |
USTFCCCA Announces Preseason Rankings
EASTON, Mass. (September 6, 2018) – The Stonehill College men's cross country team is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Preseason East Region Poll and No. 15 in the National Poll, the coaches organization announced last week.
The men's team return a core of five seniors, including Lucas Taxter, Christopher Drace, Riley Dowd, Alexander Demeule, and Lawrence Carney that will lead the way as all of them were part of the seven that finished 16th last year at the NCAA Division II Championships in Evansville, Indiana, for the best finish since 2006. This quintet also assisted the Skyhawks to a perfect season tallying six first-place results, including its fourth NCAA Division II East Regional Championship, the eighth Northeast-10 Conference Championship, and the first New England Championship in program history.
The team also includes junior Chris Gendron, sophomores Sean Conlan, Chris McCaffrey, Jeff Pichie, and Kevin Wheelock. Four freshman join Stonehill this year, including Shane Braz, Evan Kennedy, Nicholas McNamee, and Chris Kelly.
Stonehill head coach Karen Boen, entering her 22nd year with the Skyhawks, has mentored the men's squad to eight NE10 Championships, four NCAA Division II East Regional Championships, and 15 NCAA Division II Championship appearances.
The Skyhawks kick off the season this weekend, Saturday, September 8 in Smithfield, Rhode Island for the Shawn M. Nassaney Invitational hosted by Bryant University. The women's varsity race will begin at 10:15 a.m. followed by the men's varsity race at 10:45 a.m. The JV race will run at 11:30 a.m. and the men at noon.
Stonehill will then travel to Kutztown, Pennsylvania for the Kutztown Division II Challenge on Saturday, September 15, followed by the New England Championships on Saturday, October 6. The Skyhawks will run in the Sixth Annual Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup on Saturday, October 20 prior to kicking off championship season with the NE10 Championship on Sunday, November 4, hosted by Franklin Pierce University. The NCAA Division II East Regional Championship will take place on Saturday, November 17 in Bethpage, New York, hosted by Adelphi as the Skyhawks aim to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships that will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, December 1 at the Bob O'Connor Golf Course.
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