MXC BIG EAST Championship Preview
10/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
"Our kids are excited and ready to go tomorrow," said head coach John Moon. "This is by far the deepest team I have had in a while and I think they are in a position to surprise some people around the conference."
For the first time since 2008, the conference meet returns to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Both races will kick-off on Friday morning as the women's 6,000 meter competition will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by the men's 8,000 meter race at 11:50 a.m.
After placing 14th for the third year in a row in 2011, the Pirates will be gunning to close the gap on defending champion Villanova, the #25 team in the nation.
Syracuse enters the meet rated as the 16th best team in the country, while Georgetown came in at number 27 in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll.
The Pirates will be more than familiar with their surroundings as they vie for the conference crown, having run at Van Cortlandt in each of the last seven seasons. Earlier this year, senior Jared Hanko (Montville, N.J.) paced the Pirates with a 31st place finish at the Metropolitan Championships, leading the team for what was the 14th consecutive meet.
The men's team will also be undaunted by the distance of the course, after running a race of at least 8,000 meters in their last four events.
After finishing tops on the squad at the Leopard Invitational, Hanko enters the conference meet having led SHU in his last 15 appearances, including the 2011 BIG EAST Championship. Throughout the season, the Montville native has been a potent threat atop the SHU lineup, registering five top-25 finishes. He also produced a mid-season stretch during which came across in the top-five among all entrants for three consecutive events.
At last year's BIG EAST meet, Hanko turned in a personal best 8K time of 26:27.3. When SHU last competed, the senior conquered a slightly longer five-mile course at the Leopard Invitational in 26:13.93.
Junior Carl Johnston (Surrey, British Columbia) has been the other half of a formidable duo for the Seton Hall men, posting the second-fastest time on the team in all six races. Following a stellar freshman season, his third go-around in blue and white has represented a return to form. Johnston goes into Friday with two top-10 finishes under his belt this season, and just missed a third when he finished 11th overall at the 8K Asics Embry-Riddle Classic.
"Jared and Carl have been very consistent for us this year," said Moon. "Jared has continued to run as well as he has for the past two years now. Carl is one of the most talented runners we have and with him putting up times that are closer to what he is truly capable of; we have been more competitive as a team."
Freshman Ryan Flannery (Forked River, N.J.) has been one of the most dependable contributors for The Hall in his first year, ranking third on the team with five scoring efforts. A local product out of Lacey Township High School, Flannery has steadily progressed as the season has worn on. He has scored the last five times out and placed third on the team behind only Hanko and Johnston in each of the last three events. His overall ledger includes three top-20 finishes, highlighted by a 10th place effort at the Hofstra Brick Stone Run.
"Ryan has really been a pleasant surprise this season," praised Moon. "When I brought him in, I thought it might take him a year or two to really be a factor because he wasn't accustomed to running high mileage. His results are a testament to how hungry he has been and how hard he has worked to get himself to this point."
Like Flannery, sophomore Tyler Orner (Sinking Spring, Pa.) has scored in five of six meets this season. He began the year with a three-meet streak of finishing in the top-five for SHU, most notably placing seventh at Hofstra and 13th at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational. Orner enters the BIG EAST event having scored in the last two races and will look to improve upon the time he clocked as a freshman at the conference championship, an 8K personal best of 27:37.2 that still stands as the fastest time of his career.
Senior Cory Hellwig (Vernon, N.J.) will look to contribute to the team score at the conference championship for the second time in his career after previously finishing fifth on the squad as a sophomore. This season, Hellwig has notched four top-five team finishes and narrowly missed another when he came across directly after Flannery at the Cappy Anderson Invitational. In total, the third-year competitor from Vernon has recorded three top-20 finishes in 2012. At last year's event, he picked up a then career fastest 8K time of 29:03.1, a mark that he beat out earlier this season at the Asics Embry-Riddle Classic (29:01.07).
"I really believe that Tyler and Cory will have their best races of the season tomorrow," added Moon. "If the guys who have been at the top for us all season remain consistent and [Orner and Hellwig] can cut down their times, we have a chance to make a nice jump in the team standings."
Freshman Jacob Bast (St. Louis, Mo.) has also enjoyed a stellar debut campaign, crossing the line with a top-five time on the team on four separate occasions. He too has registered three top-20 performances and will provide the added depth that makes this year's version of the Pirates a more complete unit.
"Sometimes people don't understand how important running as a team is in cross country," said Moon. "It's not always about having the top individuals. If you have five or six guys that are running well together without huge gaps in their times, you will place well as a team. With both the men and the women, we are getting closer and closer to having that here."
Freshman Joseph Martinelli (Branchburg, N.J.) could prove to be a dark horse contributor for the Pirates after placing just outside the scoring group on numerous occasions. In three previous 8K races, he has taken home two top-40 finishes.
Seton Hall's other returning scorer from last year, sophomore Kevin Walsh (Deltaville, Va.), has competed in just one event this season due to injury.
Coming off one of the most successful regular seasons in recent history, coach Moon and the Pirates are eager to put their improved form on display on the conference's biggest stage.
"These kids have worked extremely hard all season," said Moon. "I am proud of them and it has been rewarding for both me and the team to see it payoff with our results. Regardless of our finish tomorrow, I know we are going to be able to walk away knowing our team gave it all we had. Those other teams are really going to have to come ready to compete if they want to outrun us."
