Cross Country

Central Islip, N.Y. - The C.W. Post Men’s Cross Country team and the St. Thomas Aquinas Women’s Cross Country team have been named the ECC Preseason favorites as voted upon by the league’s coaches.  Senior Sarah Callagy from St. Thomas Aquinas and junior Elphas Kimutai from New York Institute of Technology are named the ECC Runners of the Year for their respective gender.

The Pioneers secured six five first place votes, finishing with 60 total points to become the favorite to win their third consecutive ECC Men’s Cross Country Championship.  They clinched their second straight title last season when six of the top 11 runners to cross the finish line were from C.W. Post. Christian Altamura paced the way for the Pioneers, earning a spot on the All-Conference First Team with a fourth place finish.

Molloy earns the No. 2 spot on the men’s poll with one first place votes and 51 points.  Conference newcomer, University of the District of Columbia, earned the final first place vote.

The Lady Spartans amassed 61 total points and five first place votes to take the top spot in the Women’s Preseason Poll.  St. Thomas Aquinas won their first ever ECC Women’s Cross Country Championship in 2010 behind the ECC Runner of the Year, Sarah Callagy and ECC Rookie of the Year, Keeley Bateman.  

Molloy comes in at No. 2 with one first place votes and 51 points.  The Lions totaled 65 points for a second place finish at the 2010 ECC Championships, narrowly finishing behind St. Thomas Aquinas who tallied 62 points. Dowling and NYIT, coming in at fourth and fifth respectively, also earned one first place vote apiece.

Kimutai finished first in the ECC Championship in 2010 with a time of 25:28.08, outpacing the rest of the field by over 10 seconds.

Callagy also was the top finisher in last year’s ECC Championship. She finished the course in 19:14.15 to help lift St. Thomas Aquinas to the championship.

( ) - first place votes