Bill Sudeck Classic

This past Saturday down on the farm just outside of Cleveland, Ohio the men's and women's cross country teams started their seasons at Case Western Reserve's Bill Sudeck Classic.  A change of weather from previous years, from extreme heat to a torrential downpour, 50 degree weather, and wind gusts up to 40 mph, upped the stakes for all runners in the race.  The Gator Men entered the race with the intention of remaining relaxed and packing up until the last mile where they could challenge themselves and each other to see who had the fastest finish.  The front pack of Chris Marker, Jeramie Parker, and Pat McLaughlin separated themselves from the rest of the crowd at the 2nd half and finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.  Zac Ross and Mike Vlah rounded out the scorers for the Gators finishing in 6th and 7th place.  The team score for the Gators was a mere 19 points, as they won the Bill Sudeck Classic for the first time in Allegheny history.  More impressive was the spread from the first gator to the 5th which was only 22 seconds.  Case Western Reserve was 2nd with 44 points.
The Lady Gators remained stubborn despite the loss of top 5 runner Samantha Zink due to illness moments before the race.  Kelly Gallagher led the way for the Gators, placing 4th overall.  6th and 7th place belonged to Kristina Martin and Katie Stancik who followed shortly after Gallagher.  The next runner for the Lady Gators was Amber Wetzel in 23rd place.  Laura Heltman closed out the scorers for the Gators in 42nd place.  In the team score, Nationally ranked Case Western (23rd) and Baldwin-Wallace (29th) claimed the top two spots with 34 points and 61 points, respectively.  Impressively, the Allegheny women took the 3rd spot with 69 points, even without the aid of Zink.
The next meet for both teams is the Pre-Regional race at Cooper's Lake in Slippery Rock, PA at the end of September.

New Beginnings

A new year begins with high hopes for the Men's and Women's Cross Country programs of Allegheny College.  An end of an era with the move of Coach Ross to an administrator position and the hiring of a young coaching staff led by Coach Brent Wilkerson.  But the business still remains the same.  On the men's side, the lack of eligability of All-American Tony Dipre and the graduation of Jakeb Zimmerman opens the door for younger runners, such as Pat McLaughlin, Mike Vlah, and Ryan Sullivan, to prove themselves and improve on the legacy they have been left.  The return of the All-American duo, Chris Marker and Jeramie Parker, sets the tone for the rest of the squad as they look to improve upon their individual and team finish from last year.  The NCAA coaches poll also happens to agree with the teams potential, ranking the Men's team 3rd behind Washington University (St. Louis) and last year's team champion, North Central College.
The woman's team looks to repair the loss of NCAA individual qualifier, Mia Symoniak, and set the pace for years to come.  A solid top three have emerged led by Kelly Gallagher, Katie Stancik, and freshman Kristina Martin.  The next pack of Sam Zink, Amber Wetzel, Lindsay Pugh, and Laura Heltman, look to shorten the distance between their pack and the front, as they continue to improve throughout the year and rebuild from last years injuries. 
The season is long and uncertain, but the confidence from each of these teams make it seem a little more assured.  Keep an eye at Allegheny's sport's homepage at http://www.alleghenysports.com/ as the Gators race their first of the season this saturday at Case Western Reserve.
Also, check out the Men's season preview here: Season Preview
and the Women's season preview here: Women's Preview