XC to Start Season at Monmouth
8/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall head coach John Moon knows quality when he sees it. A legendary figure in the sport, Moon is no stranger to success at the highest levels. With that fact in mind, it warrants notice when he says he believes the cross country program is poised to take a large step forward in 2012.
"I enjoy coaching this team," Moon said. "They are very coachable and they genuinely love to run. I think this year more than others; we have the depth up and down our roster needed to compete at this level."
Leading up to the new season the Pirates have been doing plenty of just that, running. According to Moon, an enhanced preseason training regimen has seen members of the SHU squad run between 70-80 miles per week. In addition to the demanding distances, the Pirates have taken their preparation to a number of different locations, introducing variety to break what had previously been a monotonous routine.
"This year we definitely stepped up our training," continued Moon. "In the past, our kids would simply run in areas around the school. This year we have been utilizing Clinton and Weequahic High Schools as well as Garrett Mountain Park in Paterson as additional training venues. I feel that in doing so, we will be better prepared to compete this season."
At the heart of a program that is primed to establish itself as a competitive force is an experienced core of runners. With a bevy of impact underclassmen and an influx of talented newcomers joining the program for the new season, there is no shortage of reasons for optimism to abound in South Orange.
Leading the charge on the men's side will be senior co-captains Tony Cramond and Jared Hanko. Cramond, entering his third season for Seton Hall, has been a steady contributor and has shown tangible improvement over his first two campaigns. Along with Hanko, he will be expected to provide a leadership presence for the Pirates this year.
Jared Hanko has been elected a captain after emerging as a force to be reckoned with during his junior season. The Montville native competed in every meet in 2011, finishing with the team's top time on all nine occasions. With three full seasons already under his belt, Hanko is the most experienced member of the team and his coach believes he has the potential to produce a special senior season.
"Jared has already proven he can be a consistent performer for us," stated Moon, who is entering his 41st season at the helm for the Pirates. "Heading into this year, I believe he has the ability to raise his level to where he is one of the top runners on the east coast."
Senior Cory Hellwig and junior Carl Johnston represent the two other returning upperclassmen for this year's version of the Pirates. Hellwig began running for the Pirates as a sophomore and has shown the capability to be a factor on a number of occasions throughout his first two seasons. Johnston, who competed in all nine meets for SHU in 2011, will be looking to return to the form he showed during his freshman season when he led the squad in all seven meets in which he ran.
"Looking ahead, I expect Cory to be one of our strongest runners this year and consistently be among our top-three finishers on the men's side," Moon said. "Carl is a guy who is very important to where we want to get to as a team. He is still running into shape and when he finds his form, I think our team will be that much more dangerous."
Six sophomores will also be included on an underclassmen-laden roster for the Seton Hall men. Despite being in only their second year, there is a wealth of experience among the group. Tyler Orner was a presence in the Pirates' lineup in each meet last season, contributing to the team's score on six occasions including the last four races of the year. Brothers John Walsh and Kevin Walsh return after each competing in the majority of meets during their first collegiate season. Kevin scored for the team in seven of his eight appearances while John lined up for six out of nine races on the year.
"I am excited to see what Tyler can bring to our team this year after competing well as a freshman," praised Moon. "Unfortunately our twins [John and Kevin Walsh] will miss some time in the beginning of the year due to injuries. They will be missed because they have the potential to be some of our top contributors, but some other people now have the opportunity to step up. "
Mark Janucci serves as the only other sophomore on the squad. Janucci will be competing for the first time this fall after being held out due to an injury in 2011.
"Mark should come in and be an additional threat for us after being hurt last year," said Moon.
Three newcomers will join the Pirates for 2012 as Jacob Bast, Ryan Flannery, and Joseph Martinelli enter their freshman campaigns. Bast, a native of St.Louis, Mo., comes to South Orange after a four-year varsity career at Oakville High School where he twice earned All-State honors in cross country. Flannery joins the Seton Hall program after serving as team captain at Lacey Township High School in New Jersey and earning Second Team All-County recognition as a senior. Another local product, Martinelli also served as team captain as a senior at Somerville High school, guiding his squad to a top-20 finish at the New Jersey Group 3 State Championships.
"We have some really talented young men coming on this season," Moon stated. "They are all experienced and their times indicate that they can come in and have an immediate impact for us. Jacob, Ryan and Joseph will all help make us a deeper team."
The same sentiment of quality depth can be applied to this year's 16-member women's cross country squad. At the forefront of the team's efforts will be the three tri-captains elected for 2012, senior Hughnique Rolle, junior Nyala Eddings and sophomore Mary Migton.
Rolle, much like Jared Hanko on the men's side, is the most veteran member of the squad with three years of competition already on her résumé. She enters 2012 on the heels of a junior campaign in which she was limited to six meets. Despite missing time, her results improved in conjunction with her health as Rolle finished as the team's top performer in the final two meets of the season. Nyala Eddings is one of two juniors on the squad and will look to build upon an impressive 2011 where she asserted herself as one of the Pirates' most consistent figures. A competitor in all nine meets, Eddings posted a top-three time on the team in each outing.
Sophomore Mary Migton burst onto the scene for Seton Hall in her first collegiate go-around, crossing the line first for the Pirates on seven occasions. Migton, who also posted five top-10 overall finishes on the year, placed in the top-two on the team in all nine meets.
"We selected tri-captains on the women's side this year for a reason, they are all deserving," said Moon. "Hughnique holds several national records in the Bahamas and with a complete, healthy season, she can be one of the top competitors on the east coast as well. Nyala continues to improve and grow as a runner and will again play a major role in what our team is able to accomplish. Mary had an excellent first season for us but I don't think she is content by any means. She will be one of the team leaders again as a sophomore."
The three other upperclassmen on the squad besides Rolle and Eddings are seniors Christina Chafos and Marigot Lustyk who are joined by junior Kristen May. Chafos has competed in all 18 meets for SHU since joining the program as a sophomore in 2010 and has steadily developed into a solid contributor, scoring for the team seven times last year. 2011 was the first year in the program for Lustyk who was thrust into competition, running in all nine meets during her initial campaign.
Kristen May is also coming off her first year running competitively for the Pirates after lettering in cross country at Shrewsbury High School in Shrewsbury, Mass., for three seasons. In 2011, May ran during seven meets, gaining valuable experience that has her in a position to become a major factor this year.
"Christina has worked hard and continued to improve throughout her time with us," Moon proclaimed. "That type of effort will allow her to play a large role for the team as a senior. Along with Marigot, I expect them to be there to push to be near the top of our performance list. Kristen May completed her first season last year and based on what I have seen, I think there's a chance her performance this year will surprise some people in a positive way."
In addition to Migton, Louisa Ozimek and newcomer Felicia Mingrone round out the sophomore class for the women's contingent. Ozimek appeared for the Pirates on six occasions last year, producing her best performance of the season during the ECAC Championships, the last meet of the season. Mingrone enters the squad just one year removed from a stellar track career in Shelton, Conn. where she earned All-Division honors and set several records at Shelton High School.
"Louisa kind of embodies the progress we are making as a program as she continues to come along," Moon said. "Felicia is someone who is new to the mix and has a primarily track-based background but I have been extremely pleased to see that she is hanging tough during training."
The women's program will also welcome a large six-member freshmen class aboard for the 2012 season. Amanda Catherall, Maggie Jodon, Briana Miller, Amanda Quaglia, Alex Ryan and Samantha Young will all put on the blue and white for the first time this year following their respective high school careers.
"We have a deep freshmen class this year on the women's team and each girl has the ability to develop into a quality runner for our program," Moon stated. "From preseason training, it is apparent that Alex [Ryan] and Amanda [Quaglia] can be top-five level contributors right away. The group as a whole though is extremely talented and provides us with the competition we need to continue to improve as a program."
The Pirates newfound depth will be put to the test from the outset of a demanding schedule that once again features nine meets. Seton Hall will start the season at the Monmouth XC Kick-Off before traveling to the Hofstra Brick Stone Run, the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational in Maryland and the Asics-Embry Riddle Classic in Florida prior to the championship season.
"We will start out at Monmouth as it is a shorter race that will help us get ready the rest of the season," explained Moon. "From there we will be a part of a number of challenging fields that will lead into our trip to Florida for the Asics-Embry Riddle Classic. My hope is by that point in the year; we will be gearing up to win that meet. It will serve as somewhat of a barometer of where we are at heading into the championship season."
The Pirates will be appearing in the Asics-Embry Riddle Classic for the second time in three years. In 2010, both the men and women recorded a third place team finish. Hughnique Rolle placed seventh overall to lead the women while Jared Hanko came across in 14th position to pace the men.
Following their return from the Sunshine State, the Pirates will compete at the Metropolitan Championships. "The Mets" are held at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, the same site as the 2012 BIG EAST Championships.
"Our athletes know the course at Van Cortland very well and we were even able to practice there recently," said Moon. "Racing at the Mets won't necessarily provide a decided advantage for us during the BIG EAST Championships but it is an important landmark in our season. This will most likely be our first look at other BIG EAST schools and of course, you always want to perform well against other schools from the area."
A date at the Leopard Invitational hosted by Lafayette in Easton, Pa., is sandwiched on the Pirates' slate between the Mets and three championship races to close the year. The first of the trio will be the conference championships scheduled for Friday, October 26. After a BIG EAST champion is crowned, SHU will compete at the NCAA Mid-East Regionals followed by an entry in the ECAC Championships to end the year.
"When it comes to the conference championships, our main focus is continuing to improve our results and the team we have this year is very capable of doing so." Moon stated.
In addition to increased depth, there is a sense of team unity among this year's squad that has their veteran head coach especially excited about the new season.
"This year's team has a sense of camaraderie that is a joy to be around," lauded Moon. "They come to work every day with a sense of enthusiasm and they are ready to run. We have been running as a unit much better than we have in the past which is extremely important if you want to successful as a cross country team and not just individuals. They are not intimidated by any of the schools we will go up against and they have a fight in them that says you're going to have to run to beat me."
Both the men's and women's teams will get their first taste of competition in 2012 this Saturday, when they line up for the Monmouth XC Kick Off in Holmdel Park, N.J.
