The Canisius College men and women's cross country teams are
set to compete in the MAAC Championships at Hammonasset
State Park in Madison, Conn. on Friday Oct. 29. The men's race is slated to
begin at 12 p.m. while the women will start at 1 p.m.
The men's team is coming off a
strong finish at the UAlbany Invitational, placing 13th in a field
of 25 teams. The men's squad has had the dynamic duo of freshman Nate McCabe and sophomore Alex Simon consistently finishing as
the team's top two runners in every race this season. McCabe has had an
immensely successful freshman campaign, as he's finished in 50th
place overall or better in every race in 2010 while his personal best came at
the Little Three Championship placing second with a top-time of 25:44. Simon
has had a solid season in his own right placing no-lower then 54th
overall in 2010 recording his season best time of 25:43 at the Little Three
Championships.
Other key contributors for the
Blue and Gold have been senior Aaron
Hoven, freshman Ricky Looby, and
junior John McDonald who have all
helped round out the top-five for
the Golden Griffins this season.
The men's team looks to improve upon their seventh-place finish in 2009.
The women's team continues to
operate like a well-oiled machine heading into the MAAC tournament, as they
have not finished below 10th-place overall this season. Senior Maura Frauenhofer has been one the
Griffs' most decorated runners in 2010 earning three MAAC Female Athlete of the
Year awards this season, however it's the depth of the team that has been
impressive for the women's squad. Sophomore Jill Shea and freshman Mikelle
Cala, have been consistent producers for the Blue and Gold, consistently
finishing second and third on the team this season. Shea hasn't placed worse
then 38thth this season with a first place showing at the Little Three
Championships with a time of 18:50 overall this season as her best time came at the Little
Three Championships with a time of 18:27 and a third place finish. Likewise
Mikelle Cala has been equally productive this year as she has finished no-lower
then 35
The women's team has a strong
supporting cast with junior Christine
Mulvihill, junior Julie Dahlkemper,
and freshman Jaime Wallace rounding
out the top-five runners for the Blue and Gold. The women's team looks to
improve on last year's third-overall finish, which was the best result for the
Griffs since 1997 when they took first.
