June 11, 2008

The goal entering the 2007 cross country campaign was to finish among the Conference's elite and improve on the 2006 finish of sixth in the A-10. The Saint Joseph's men's cross country squad did just that infusing a blend of youth and experience en route to a fifth place showing for the 2007 A-10 Championship hosts.

Leading the way for the Hawks was junior Kyle Murray. Sitting out his sophomore year from NCAA competition while running as an unattached runner, Murray was vital to the Hawks' success in 2007. In the end, the junior from Jamison, Pa. was the lone SJU competitor to make the All-Conference squad thanks to a ninth place finish at a muddy A-10 race.

To start the season, SJU ran its less-than-veteran crew at the Haverford Time Trials shortly after convening for summer practices. Jimmy Jennings was tops on the team that day with his fourth place finish.

Two weeks later, head coach Mike Glavin would trot out his "A" team for the Ram Invitational at Van Courtlandt Park. Murray (second place) led a one-two-three attack from the Hawks with Brian Guterl (third) and Jonathan Sclafani (fourth) following Murray's position to help Saint Joseph's take first place. Jennings (sixth) and Brendan Kearney (eighth) rounded out the top five contingent for the Hawks.

The following week at Penn State Murray garnered a top-10 finish while Sclafani (16th), Guterl (20th), and Jennings (23rd) completed the second straight week of similar finishes for the third-place Hawks.

Glavin retained the services of senior co-captain Will Rowland the next week at Leopard Invitational at Lafayette, while resting some of his younger athletes in preparation for the A-10 Championships. Murray (eighth) once again led the way as Guterl and Sclafani ran to 11th and 12th place finishes, respectively.

When the Hawks returned to Philadelphia as hosts of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championship at Belmont Plateau, they were greeted with torrential rain. The course was sloppy as 14 teams toed the line, and Murray proved to be a powerful force once again. He ran his way to a ninth-place finish as the Hawks finished fifth overall. Only Guterl (23rd) was able to crack the top-30 with Murray.

WIth the top-seven solidified, Glavin sent freshmen Guterl, Ryan Fenimore, sophomores Jennings, Sclafani, George Wittmann and veterans in Murray and Rowland to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Lehigh University. There the Hawks landed in 13th place behind Murray and Sclafani who posted the top places at 32nd and 70th, respectively.

With one meet remaining in the cross country season, Saint Joseph's saw 13 harriers make their way to Van Courtlandt Park for the IC4A Championship meet. Aside from Murray's 19th place showing, the Hawks did not fare too well in the varsity race finishing 12th. Nevertheless, in the coaches' race, Jesse Brooks did place 13th.

The 2007 season will go down as a stepping stone for the program as it continues its trek up the ladder back to prominence. With only one senior departing due to graduation, the Hawks will return a line up to be reckoned with in the Atlantic 10 in 2008.