Princeton University Athletics
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/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
Excitement Surrounds Men's Cross Country Season
August 29, 2006 | Men's Cross Country
The Princeton men's cross country team will open its 2006 season Sept. 9 on its new home course that overlooks majestic Lake Carnegie, but that's not the only reason there's such excitement surrounding the team.
The Tigers return all but two graduated seniors from last year's runner-up Heptagonal Cross Country Championships squad, and they also add a national-caliber freshman class to the mix. The returning runners left campus in the spring looking forward to a summer of training that would take the Tigers to the top after a 2005 season of near misses.
Princeton finished second at 2005 Heptagonals despite a terrific score of 47, a total so low that it would have captured any of the previous six Heptagonal titles. At the NCAA district meet, the Tigers were a mere four points away from earning an automatic team berth at nationals. Still, Princeton sent two runners to the NCAA championships as individuals, Frank Macreery and David Nightingale, with Macreery garnering All-America honors. The Tigers would like to end this season by winning the 13th Heptagonals crown in program history, the district title that eluded them in 2005 and competing as a team at the NCAA meet at Indiana State in November.
Senior Paul Rosa will captain the Tigers. Rosa has been a scorer for Princeton in the past. His work ethic and competitive spirit are being counted on to lead the up-and-coming Princeton harriers. Rosa will have leadership help from classmate Eric Beights, who has scored in Heptagonals in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in both middle distance and long distance events. Last year, he placed in the 1,000 meters indoors.
The junior class has been solid since its arrival and is being counted on to be a key part of Princeton's title chase this year. They were prominent players last year, when they were still on the young side. With a sense of what the Ivy League competition is like and just how important every place is in a race, the class should be even more dangerous in 2006.
Princeton's leading returning runner is Nightingale, who headlines the terrific junior group. In addition to qualifying for NCAA's last year, he was an All-Ivy performer at Heptagonals thanks to a fifth place finish. He was later the 3,000-meter Heptagonal champion on the track. He has shown steady improvement through his first two cross country seasons and is expected to be among the top runners on the East Coast again this year.
Frank Tinney is another junior who has shown remarkable promise in two short years. He missed the early part of the cross country campaign last year, but returned in time to place in the top five for the Tigers at both Heptagonals and the district meet. He built on those finishes with track results that have the coaching staff excited to see what he can do this fall. Tinney ran 14:08.24 in the 5,000 meters at the IC4A Championships to qualify for the NCAA East Regionals in the spring and should give Princeton a boost this fall as well.
Justin Pines was another top seven runner for the Tigers throughout his sophomore year, when he came on strong to be Princeton's third finisher at the Pre-Nationals meet. Fellow juniors Rob Grote, Tim O'Neill and James O'Toole will also be pushing for a top seven spot among the Tigers. Grote has experience from last year as a varsity contributor, while O'Toole has shown promise on the track that could translate into cross country accolades in his third year. O'Neill also has been a top seven finisher for the Tigers in his career and is looking to contribute again to the Tigers' success in 2006.
The sophomores are following perfectly in their upperclass teammates' footsteps while quickly establishing themselves as some of the most talented runners in the league. Michael Maag enjoyed one of the best freshman years of any runner in the country. He came on strong to become an all-district performer, then remarkably continued to improve through the indoor and outdoor track seasons. He was 10th at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships and then went on to represent the victorious American team at the NACAC Cross Country Championships, where he was the sixth finisher overall in the international race. On the track, he owned the second fastest 5,000 of any junior runner in the U.S. with his 14:05.22 at the Mt. SAC Invitational.
Fellow sophomores Bryan Sharkey and Brett Campfield will also compete for top seven positions after both enjoyed solid freshman years. Sharkey developed into a top-seven runner for the Tigers and gained experience by running in both Heptagonals and districts. He went on to score in the steeplechase at Outdoor Heptagonals. Campfield ran 4:10.39 in the mile indoors and finished sixth in the steeplechase at the U.S. Junior Championships. Both runners should challenge for places in the Tigers' top seven in their second collegiate seasons.
There are several newcomers who are looking to make an impact in their first year. In recent years, runners like Nightingale, Tinney and Maag have shown that to be possible. Ben Sitler is one of the most celebrated runners to come to Princeton in recent years. The decorated Californian was seventh at last year's Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals and has run 8:53 for the 3,200 meters. Tim Branigan was third in the Minnesota state cross country championship, while James Joy was a Top-25 finisher in the Northeast. Ted Price is another Californian who was among the best cross country runners in the state. Ben White was the New York state champion in the mile, while Elliot Welder was runner-up in the Montana cross country final. Competition among the incoming freshmen will be fierce as they look to contribute to a budding juggernaut.
The Ivy League again will present a challenging field. Defending champion Dartmouth will be a strong contender and Brown, Columbia, Cornell and Pennsylvania will ensure a tight race at Heptagonals, which take place Oct. 27 at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City.
In the district, defending champion Georgetown will certainly be looked upon as the favorite. Perennially strong teams like Villanova, American, La Salle and Penn State will also be in the running. The Tigers feel that they will be right there to push for the top spot.
Princeton believes it has taken a big step since coming so close to the top last year. The elements are in place for a championship season. The Tigers have experience, leadership and talented young runners, all reasons that the Princeton men's cross country team is excited about 2006.
The Tigers return all but two graduated seniors from last year's runner-up Heptagonal Cross Country Championships squad, and they also add a national-caliber freshman class to the mix. The returning runners left campus in the spring looking forward to a summer of training that would take the Tigers to the top after a 2005 season of near misses.
Princeton finished second at 2005 Heptagonals despite a terrific score of 47, a total so low that it would have captured any of the previous six Heptagonal titles. At the NCAA district meet, the Tigers were a mere four points away from earning an automatic team berth at nationals. Still, Princeton sent two runners to the NCAA championships as individuals, Frank Macreery and David Nightingale, with Macreery garnering All-America honors. The Tigers would like to end this season by winning the 13th Heptagonals crown in program history, the district title that eluded them in 2005 and competing as a team at the NCAA meet at Indiana State in November.
Senior Paul Rosa will captain the Tigers. Rosa has been a scorer for Princeton in the past. His work ethic and competitive spirit are being counted on to lead the up-and-coming Princeton harriers. Rosa will have leadership help from classmate Eric Beights, who has scored in Heptagonals in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in both middle distance and long distance events. Last year, he placed in the 1,000 meters indoors.
The junior class has been solid since its arrival and is being counted on to be a key part of Princeton's title chase this year. They were prominent players last year, when they were still on the young side. With a sense of what the Ivy League competition is like and just how important every place is in a race, the class should be even more dangerous in 2006.
Princeton's leading returning runner is Nightingale, who headlines the terrific junior group. In addition to qualifying for NCAA's last year, he was an All-Ivy performer at Heptagonals thanks to a fifth place finish. He was later the 3,000-meter Heptagonal champion on the track. He has shown steady improvement through his first two cross country seasons and is expected to be among the top runners on the East Coast again this year.
Frank Tinney is another junior who has shown remarkable promise in two short years. He missed the early part of the cross country campaign last year, but returned in time to place in the top five for the Tigers at both Heptagonals and the district meet. He built on those finishes with track results that have the coaching staff excited to see what he can do this fall. Tinney ran 14:08.24 in the 5,000 meters at the IC4A Championships to qualify for the NCAA East Regionals in the spring and should give Princeton a boost this fall as well.
Justin Pines was another top seven runner for the Tigers throughout his sophomore year, when he came on strong to be Princeton's third finisher at the Pre-Nationals meet. Fellow juniors Rob Grote, Tim O'Neill and James O'Toole will also be pushing for a top seven spot among the Tigers. Grote has experience from last year as a varsity contributor, while O'Toole has shown promise on the track that could translate into cross country accolades in his third year. O'Neill also has been a top seven finisher for the Tigers in his career and is looking to contribute again to the Tigers' success in 2006.
The sophomores are following perfectly in their upperclass teammates' footsteps while quickly establishing themselves as some of the most talented runners in the league. Michael Maag enjoyed one of the best freshman years of any runner in the country. He came on strong to become an all-district performer, then remarkably continued to improve through the indoor and outdoor track seasons. He was 10th at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships and then went on to represent the victorious American team at the NACAC Cross Country Championships, where he was the sixth finisher overall in the international race. On the track, he owned the second fastest 5,000 of any junior runner in the U.S. with his 14:05.22 at the Mt. SAC Invitational.
Fellow sophomores Bryan Sharkey and Brett Campfield will also compete for top seven positions after both enjoyed solid freshman years. Sharkey developed into a top-seven runner for the Tigers and gained experience by running in both Heptagonals and districts. He went on to score in the steeplechase at Outdoor Heptagonals. Campfield ran 4:10.39 in the mile indoors and finished sixth in the steeplechase at the U.S. Junior Championships. Both runners should challenge for places in the Tigers' top seven in their second collegiate seasons.
There are several newcomers who are looking to make an impact in their first year. In recent years, runners like Nightingale, Tinney and Maag have shown that to be possible. Ben Sitler is one of the most celebrated runners to come to Princeton in recent years. The decorated Californian was seventh at last year's Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals and has run 8:53 for the 3,200 meters. Tim Branigan was third in the Minnesota state cross country championship, while James Joy was a Top-25 finisher in the Northeast. Ted Price is another Californian who was among the best cross country runners in the state. Ben White was the New York state champion in the mile, while Elliot Welder was runner-up in the Montana cross country final. Competition among the incoming freshmen will be fierce as they look to contribute to a budding juggernaut.
The Ivy League again will present a challenging field. Defending champion Dartmouth will be a strong contender and Brown, Columbia, Cornell and Pennsylvania will ensure a tight race at Heptagonals, which take place Oct. 27 at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City.
In the district, defending champion Georgetown will certainly be looked upon as the favorite. Perennially strong teams like Villanova, American, La Salle and Penn State will also be in the running. The Tigers feel that they will be right there to push for the top spot.
Princeton believes it has taken a big step since coming so close to the top last year. The elements are in place for a championship season. The Tigers have experience, leadership and talented young runners, all reasons that the Princeton men's cross country team is excited about 2006.
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