September 18, 2007
Veteran runners could have AU sprinting to the front of the pack
Led by four strong veterans, the AU men’s cross country team is once again favored to win what would be its sixth straight Patriot League title. But despite the presence of seniors Brendan Fennell, Steve Hallinan (left), and Carlos Jamieson, and junior Brian McCabe, Coach Matt Centrowitz is not quite ready to anoint this group of Eagles as champions—yet.
“It’s a little early to say that 101 percent, let’s see how they run first,” Centrowitz said. “But I’d definitely say all of them are improved from last year both physically and mentally. In running, getting six months older is a big advantage, and they’ve all done everything I’ve asked them to.”
Above and beyond pushing themselves physically, that includes setting an example for the team’s cadre of young runners, including promising freshmen Conor Sullivan, Kyle Gaffney, and Nick Ryan.
“We have a good crop of older guys and a group of young guys that are real excited to come in, work hard, and contribute to the team,” said Hallinan, a co-captain. “That’s definitely a good atmosphere to be a part of. I know there will probably be a little pressure on them once they get into the races, but if they relax and follow the upperclassmen’s lead, they should be fine.”
In its first full squad meet of the year, the men’s team finished fourth at the Navy Invitational Saturday morning at the Naval Academy Golf Club in Annapolis. Hallinan led the Eagles with a fourth-place finish, and Jamieson also placed in the top ten.
Two and half weeks earlier, an Eagles team lacking three of its Big Four (Fennell, Hallinan, and Jamieson skipped the meet to concentrate on training) finished second at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational. McCabe, the only AU veteran to compete, finished second in the 57-man field, earning Patriot League Male Runner of the Week honors. Sullivan placed fifth, and sophomore Greg Leach came in tenth.
At the same meet, the women’s cross country team fared even better: it took home victory. Boosted by its own foursome of veterans, the Eagles kicked off a season in which they were picked to finish fifth in the Patriot League by placing three runners in the top ten. Senior co-captains Kate Lilley (right) and Cathleen Ford finished one-two, and sophomore Greta Wicklund came in a career-best eighth.
“This is a great start for us,” Centrowitz said of the women’s team’s effort. “We have improved a lot up to this point, and if we continue at this rate we should be in good shape for the conference championships in eight weeks.”
The women got their first taste of top competition at the Navy Invitational, where they finished fifth. Ford was AU’s top individual runner, placing seventh. Lilley finished 13th, and Wickulund was 22nd.
