2018 Cross Country Season Preview
Video Preview
Patchogue, NY| Now in his 21st season with the program, St. Joseph's College (L.I.) cross country team head coach Jim Crowley looks guide the women's team to a second-straight Skyline Conference title and the men's team to its sixth ever.
No stranger to winning, Crowley has headed SJC's most successful program since 1998. He's led the teams to a combined 17 conference championships with nine of the women's last titles coming in the past 11 years.
In addition to the women's first-place finish a year ago, Crowley's men's side took third place. Just days after the Skyline Championships, the women's team took second and the ECAC Championships and the men finished in fifth.
The Returners: The 2015 Skyline Conference men's cross country individual champion Ryan Haun returns for his senior season one year removed from an individual title at the ECAC Championship. He'll be joined on the men's team by sophomore Thomas Newham and junior Nick DeLuca, who placed 24th at the 2017 conference championship.
The women will turn to Skyline Conference Rookie of the year Meagan Haviland, who finished 11th last season and picked up Skyline All-Conference Second-Team honors. Also appearing on the Second-Team was Amanda Sprague, who will feature in her senior year, and junior Karli Murphy.
The Newcomers: On the men's side, Crowley welcomes sophomore track & field team member Jeremey Anderson and freshman Dennis O'Rourke, who should factor in the points from day one.
The women will look to sophomore Cassidy Jacobus, who missed all of her freshman campaign due to injury, and first-year runner Sandra Vivar Marin.
Expectations: Crowley feels both the men's and women's teams are deeper this season despite graduating the men's team's second runner and the women's team's top runner from a season ago.
Top-three finishes are very likely and Crowley feels both teams will be in the mix to challenge for conference titles.
The results of the Skyline Conference Cross Country Preseason Coaches Polls, released on August 30, saw the women picked to finish first and the men to take third.
2018 Skyline Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank, Team (first-place votes), Points
1. St. Joseph's-L.I. (6) - 91
2. Farmingdale State (4) - 87
3. Mount Saint Mary - 75
4. Sarah Lawrence - 66
5. Maritime - 64
6. USMMA (1) - 57
7. Purchase - 55
8. Mount Saint Vincent - 48
9. Old Westbury - 25
10. Yeshiva - 20
11. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn - 17
2018 Skyline Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank, Team (first-place votes), Points
1. Maritime (5) - 91
2. USMMA (4) - 89
3. St. Joseph's-L.I. (2) - 85
4. Farmingdale State - 69
5. Mount Saint Mary - 64
6. Purchase - 55
7. Yeshiva - 40
8. Sarah Lawrence - 34
9. Mount Saint Vincent - 30
10. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn - 26
11. Old Westbury - 22