Aug. 30, 2007

Although the 2007 Saint Joseph's men's cross country team lost three of its top four runners from last season, what it gains in return is exciting.

Head coach Mike Glavin, entering his 19th year as the men's cross country coach, will rely heavily on the services of freshmen, transfers, and injured upperclassmen alike.

Senior co-captains Rich Ryan and Will Rowland lead the Hawks; Ryan as a middle-distance runner stepping up to cross country, and Rowland returning from an injury that caused him to redshirt his junior year. Rowland was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference performer at Belmont Plateau in 2005, site of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championship hosted by Saint Joseph's.

Racing in a St. Joe's uniforms for the first time are quasi-newcomers Pete Dittmar and Kyle Murray. Both are juniors who transferred from Bates College and Lock Haven University, respectively, after their freshman seasons. Dittmar raced in the 2005 ECAC Championships at Bates, clocking a 26:50. Murray raced as an unattached runner in 2006, placing 17th with a time of 26:09 at the Lafayette Invitational.

Other contributing juniors are Justin Heinze, Brendan Kearney, and Steve Young. Heinze placed in the top seven in every race for the Hawks with his best finish being 41st at the Lock Haven 10K. Kearney was top-seven in four of the six full-field starts, with a breakout performance at A-10s, finishing 40th. Young has contributed on the periphery of the top seven, cracking it once as a sophomore. All three look to make their marks with the other upperclassmen.

A youngster who had a great impact in 2006 was sophomore Jonathan Sclafani. Finishing no worse than fourth on the team in any race, he finished in the top 30 at Lafayette and A-10s. There is no reason to expect a sophomore slump from Sclafani.

Joining Sclafani are sophomores Chris Savino and James Jennings. Savino looks to improve upon his three top-six finishes in 2006. Jennings had a personal best 28:25 at A-10s in 2006, a mark he hopes to better in the Saint Joseph's-hosted Atlantic 10 Championship at Belmont Plateau this season.

The 2007 version of the men's cross country team features a large and talented freshman class. There are eight new faces in all, highlighted by Jesse Brooks, Delaware's state cross country runner-up in 2006 and Brian Guterl, a New Jersey Meet of Champions cross country top-10 runner. Brooks and Guterl should have an immediate impact on the top-seven varsity squad this season.

The other freshmen looking to supply depth to the Hawks are Aidan Bryne, Vincent Collins, Kevin Donnelly, Ryan Fenimore, Luke Fischer, and Roland Tilar.

The Hawks should feel right at home for much of the season, traveling just once outside of Pennsylvania to the Fordham Invitational at Van Courtlandt Park. The rest of their schedule is highlighted by familiar courses, running at Haverford, Penn State, Lafayette, and hosting the Atlantic 10 Championship at Belmont Plateau.

There is reason for optimism with this young team, which finished 6th in the A-10 and was picked 6th in the preseason poll. Barring major injuries, their chances are good to improve upon both of those marks.