MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – A combined 14 new faces will adorn the Morrisville State cross country jersey this fall, eight on the women's side and six on the men's side, as 21-year veteran head coach Derek Powers looks to prepare his team for a run at the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) championships.
Morrisville State returns lead runners Owen Braun (Fulton, N.Y.) and Raylene Wade (Red Creek, N.Y.) to captain the teams, Wade, a two-time All-Conference honoree, to the roster this season. Each will reign in the large roster that is expected to improve on last year's conference finishes.
"Most of our preseason has been low mileage running," Powers said. "We will work as a unit throughout the season with both teams, and should be ready to reach our full potential by late October."
On the women's side, the experience and talents of Sydney O'Dell (Manlius, N.Y.), Anna Raymond (Newark, N.Y.) and Miranda Wright (Smyrna, N.Y.) will fair well for the Mustangs, who Powers is expecting to contribute to a top five team finish later this season.
Powers added newcomers Derek Hutchings (West Winfield, N.Y.) and Tom Newman (Margaretville, N.Y.) on the men's side, both of which Powers is expecting to be in the Mustangs top five runners.
"We have a tough out of conference schedule running at Roberts Wesleyan and Hamilton College," Powers stated.
"Both of those meets, however, will help pull our top runners to fast times, and get them stronger for the conference meet at the end of the season."
Morrisville State will open the season Saturday at the SUNY Poly Wildcat Invitational. Racing begins at 10 a.m.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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