Sept. 1, 2005

PHILADELPHIA - A healthy squad has high expecations for Head Coach Mike Glavin's men's cross country squad. Fueled by seniors Mike DiDio and Joe Mohn, the Hawks feel they have the talent to compete for the 2005 Atlantic 10 Conference crown.

SJU's top runner in every race he competed as a junior, DiDio is a legitimate contender for Conference Performer of the Year honors. Injuries, however, have prevented him from reaching his full potential. He missed the 2003 Conference Championships due to a foot injury and led the pack at the 2004 League meet before an injury forced him to withdraw from the event less then 1000 meters from the finish. Prior to that outing, the two-time Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week had impressed with a third place finish at the Spiked Shoe and fifth place effort at the Paul Short Invitational. He also competed at the NCAA Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Ind. and the Mid-Atlantic Regional meet.

Injury free in 2004, Mohn reasserted himself as one of the A-10's top runners. Steady and consistent all season long, he garnered All-Conference honors for the second time after a seventh place finish at the League meet. He went on to place 14th at the IC4A Championship.

Two other Hawks who missed significant time due to injury, junior Teddy Meyers and senior David Masse, hope to return to form. Meyers, the team's Rookie of the Year as a freshman when he placed 15th at A-10's, was sidelined for most of the fall season. Masse, meanwhile was 17th at A-10s and consitently ran among SJU's top four in 2003, but likewise missed most of the 2004 season. If healthy, both have legitimate opportunities to capture All-League recognition.

Besides these veteran runners, Glavin hopes that at least one runner from a group that includes juniors Shawn Duffy and Brian O'Neill, as well as sophomores Will Rowland and Rich Ryan will emerge to add depth.

Duffy has made steady improvement during his first two seasons and could work his way into the team's top five, while O'Neill is a veteran runner. Rowland and Ryan are also expected to take significant strides in their second season of collegiate racing. Among SJU's most reliable runners as rookies, the tandem proved to be unexpected scorers at the Conference Championship, running fourth and fifth at A-10s.

As usual, the Hawks' schedule is again filled with competetive meets that should prepare SJU for the Conference Championships, which return to Fairmount Park's Belmont Plateau. The Crimson and Gray will open the season on the Plateau at the La Salle Invitational, in addition to participating at the Fordham, Spiked Shoe, Paul Short and Penn State Invitationals.

With two of the Atlantic 10's best distance performers leading the way in the form of DiDio and Mohn, Glavin believes that his team has the tools necessary to return to prominence. If the Hawks remain injury free and his veteran squad can run to form, expect the Hawks to contend for the Conference Championship in 2005.