Cross Country News
2009 Cross Country Preview
The men’s cross country team returns five of their top seven runners from the 2008 team that won team titles at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship and the South/Southeast Regional Meet. The Colonels return two All-SCAC runners and three All-Region runners from the 2008 team.
The Colonels look to be very strong up front in 2009 with the trio of Jason Parks, Willie Polio, and Clinton Cahall. Parks, Polio, and Cahall were all selections to the 2008 NCAA South/Southeast Regional Team. Senior leader Jason Parks looks to improve upon a 2008 season in which he finished as the individual runner-up at the SCAC Championships and finished 11th at the South/Southeast Regional Meet.
Willie Polio had an outstanding freshman cross country season in which he finished as the first freshman at the South/Southeast Regional Meet and finished 8th at the SCAC Championships.
Cahall was the third All-Regional team selection for the Colonels in 2008 and is coming off of an outstanding track season in which he broke the school record in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:24.01.
Junior Sam Morgan has also been a proven varsity runner for the Colonels the past two seasons and looks to contend for All-Regional and All-Conference honors in 2009. In 2008, Morgan finished 17th at the SCAC Championships.
The Colonels have several other returning runners who have the capability to score for the 2009 team. Graham Campbell was a member of Centre’s national qualifying team in 2008 and looks to make a run at finishing in the top five on the team in 2009. George Zhang, Andy Williams, Jack Santos , and Ryan Will are other returning runners capable of contributing to the 2009 team. The Colonels also add freshman Will Troy (Ithaca, NY) and J.J. Crumpler (Mason, OH) to a veteran team that will contend for a berth at the National Meet in Berea, OH on November 21st.
The men open their season on September 5th at the University of the South Invitational in Sewanee, Tennessee.
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