Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Cross Country Runs for Autobid at NCAA Regional Saturday
November 10, 2010 | Men's Cross Country
Official Mid-Atlantic Regional Site
PRINCETON, N.J. (11/9/10) - The Princeton cross country teams will decide its post season fate when they run at the 2010 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Saturday, Nov. 13. The event will be hosted by Penn State in University Park, Pa. The women's 6k race begins at noon, with the men's 10k following at 1:15 p.m.
The top two teams from each of the nine Regionals will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. In addition, 13 at-large teams will be selected. Thirty-six individuals automatically qualify by being one of the top four regional finishers not on an advancing team, with two additional individuals chosen by the committee.
The following teams will be racing both its men and women's teams: American, Bucknell, Delaware, Duquesne, FDU, George Washington, Georgetown, La Salle, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola, Marshall, Maryland, Maryland Eastern Shore, Monmouth, Mt. St. Mary's, Navy, NJIT, Penn, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Rider, Robert Morris, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. Francis, St. Joseph's, Temple, Towson (women only), UMBC, Villanova and West Virginia (women only).
Last year the men's team finished sixth out of 28 teams on a very muddy and puddle-laden course at Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Tigers were without their top runner, Brian Leung, who suffered an injury during the race and didn't finish. The previous year he placed ninth and was in contention for one of the top spots last year. Captain Rob Speare finished 12th overall as the team's top scorer at 32:11.5 and qualified for the NCAAs as an individual. Donn Cabral was 14th overall with a time of 32:38.8, while Mark Amirault was the third Tiger across the line at 32:59.0 for 27th. He was followed by Sean Wilson at 34:02.5 for 66th place, James Webb in 92nd place with a time of at 34:31.2 and Joe Stilin clocked in at 34:38.4.
The Tigers return all five scorers this season and Leung is healthy. Cabral is expected to lead the Tigers as he has all season. The junior has won all but one race he's competed in this season, Pre-Nationals, including a victory at the Ivy League Heptagonals two weeks ago running the second fastest time in Heps history. Leung has been Princeton's steady No. 2 runner all season long and should have a strong showing in attempt to redeem himself from last year. Amirault has been the third runner the last two races and has strong potential to finish in the top, along with senior Kyle Soloff and Stilin. Soloff has been a scorer in each of the last three races and Stilin has been in the top four in three of the last four races. In addition, Princeton's fifth runner at Heps, Max Kaulbach should challenge for one of the top five spots.
Princeton is ranked tops in the region and has been since Week 4 of the season. Sitting behind the Tigers is Penn State who could have an advantage racing on its home course. Villanova, Georgetown and Navy follow to make up the top five in the region. Ivy League competitor Penn is sixth. Princeton, Penn State and Villanova are ranked nationally, at 17, 26, 29, respectively.
The Tigers have made the NCAA Championship as a team ten times, most recently in 1999, and have had an individual qualify every season for the past seven seasons.
Last year the women qualified for the NCAA Championship with a second-place finish at Regionals behind national champion Villanova. It marked the eighth time Princeton has made nationals as a team and the fifth straight season the team earned an auto bid. Senior Liz Costello clocked in at 20:53 to take seventh place in the race. Sophomore Alex Banfich followed five seconds later to claim 10th place. Junior Sarah Cummings clocked in a 21:29 for 17th place and junior Ashley Higginson was 20th with a time of 21:43. Senior Reilly Kiernan was just one second behind to take 23rd.
Princeton returns three of those scorers from last season who have been the Tigers' top three all season. Banfich has been Princeton's top runner the last three races including a win at Heps where she clocked in with the second fastest time in Heps history in less than 17 minutes. In the top three should be seniors Higginson and Cummings. The pair have experience at Regionals and have been consistent scorers for the Tigers the past couple of years. Four other harriers have the potential for top five spots including sophomores Mel Newbery, Alexis Mikaelian and Abby Levene and freshman Marisa Cummings. Newbery was the third runner across the line at Heps and have been a scorer in three of the five meets this season. Mikaelian has been the No. 4 runner four times, while the younger Cummings and Levene each been scorers twice this year.
Princeton will again face its toughest competition in the reigning national champion Villanova and Georgetown. These three teams have been top three all season and are all nationally ranked. Villanova is the unanimous No. 1 in the latest national poll with Georgetown fifth. Princeton is ranked No. 19 and Penn State, another member of the region, is 28th.