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.
2011 ECC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll | 2011 ECC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll | ||||
School | Points | School | Points | ||
1. C.W. Post (6) | 60 | 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (5) | 61 | ||
2. Molloy (1) | 51 | 2. Molloy (1) | 49 | ||
3. Dowling | 41 | 3. C.W. Post | 46 | ||
4. District of Columbia (1) | 38 | 4. Dowling (1) | 43 | ||
4. NYIT | 38 | 5. NYIT (1) | 34 | ||
6. St. Thomas Aquinas | 25 | 6. Queens | 24 | ||
7. Queens | 23 | 7. District of Columbia | 18 | ||
8. Bridgeport | 12 | 8. Bridgeport | 13 |
( ) - first place votes