Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Cross Country Opens 2007 At Home
8/28/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Aug. 28, 2007
2007\ Cross\ Country\ Patriot\ League\ Preseason\ Poll
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's cross country team is set to open the 2007 season at home Friday in the Bison Open. Bucknell will welcome Kutztown, Susquehanna, and Scranton in the first meet of the season, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Coming off a third-place finish at the 2006 Patriot League Championships, Bucknell tied with Army for the third pick in the Patriot League Preseason Poll released today, with 67 points.
"Last year we made a giant step finishing third in the Patriot League after finishing fifth the previous two years," said head Coach Kevin Donner. That being said, he also asserts that "The Patriot League is very strong this year with American returning a lot of runners from the team that went to the National Championships last year." In addition to American University, Donner sees Navy, Army, and Lehigh as strong teams that will pose a challenge for the men this season.
Senior Wallace Campbell (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Academy) will lead the Bison in 2007. "Wallace was our no. 2 runner last year was named All-Patriot League," said Donner. "He looks very strong this year and had a great outdoor track season. We hope that he can contend for a Patriot League individual title as well as a berth at the NCAA National Championships."
Donner notes that Bucknell is returning a number of solid runners. Among those returning are senior Andrew Corral (Bellport, N.Y./Bellport), senior Michael Gibney (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River), junior Clinton Orloski (Butler, Pa./Slippery Rock) and junior Donald Sanner (Meyersdale, Pa./Meyersdale).
"Corral, Gibney, Orloski, and Sanner were consistent varsity runners for us last year and all four are ready to step up this year and improve," said Donner. Corral, Gibney, and Sanner scored for the Bison at last year's Patriot League Championships.
Other returning runners for the Bison are senior William Holleran (San Rafael, Calif./Saint Ignatius Academy) and sophomore Andrew Huebner (Hampton Falls, N.H./Governor Drummer Academy). According to Donner, "William Holleran is another guy who had a really nice spring, running some good 5,000-meter races for us and we hope he is ready to step up. We also have a sophomore, Andrew Huebner who really came on well as a freshman last year and had an outstanding summer. He is going to be one near our top-five."
Donner will also look to sophomore Connor McNamara (Baldwin, N.Y./Chaminade) and sophomore Baron Willeford (New Orleans, La./Columbia Prep) for depth this season. These are two runners that he feels have improved over the summer and will only look to continue this development throughout the season.
After starting the 2007 season at home in the Bison Open on Friday, Bucknell will travel to Bloomsburg, Pa. on Saturday, Sept. 8 for the Bloomsburg Invitational and then to Altoona, Pa. on Saturday, Sept. 22 for the Juniata Invitational. Also on Sept. 22, the Bison will have runners compete in the Western Ontario Invitational in London, Ontario.
To close out the regular season, Bucknell will run in the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa. on Friday, Sept. 28 and at the Leopard Invitational in Easton, Pa. on Saturday, Oct. 13.
The 2007 Patriot League Championships are set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 27 in Eason, Pa. and this year's Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships will be hosted by Lehigh University on Saturday, Nov. 10. The IC4A Championships are set for Saturday, Nov. 17 in Bronx, N.Y. and the NCAA Championships will take place in Terre Haute, Ind. on Monday, Nov. 19.
"Our goal is to be top-three in the Patriot League," said Donner, "American seems to be the heavily favored team with Navy and Bucknell as the dark horses. If we can stay healthy and can step it up a notch I would like to say that we can contend for a Patriot League Championship. Our goal is always to finish in the top-ten at the NCAA Regional Championships and we feel as though we have the type of team that can do that this year."
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