NEW HAVEN, CT (August 27, 2009) - The Felician College men and Georgian Court University cross country teams are ranked in the East Region according to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason poll. The Golden Falcons stand seventh and the Lions are ninth in their respective polls.

Felician and Georgian Court both finished in the top-10 at the 2008 NCAA Division II East Region Championships, which were held in Boston, Mass. on Nov. 9th. Both registered eighth-place finishes.

In 2008, Felician earned its first end-of-season regional ranking in program history, ending up eighth. Six out of seven Golden Falcon entrants in that race return for 2009, including defending CACC Runner of the Year, James Vander Wiele. The Golden Falcons commence the 2009 season on Sept. 5 at the Delaware Valley Invitational.

Headlining head coach Kerwin Lanz's roster at GCU will be 2008 All-CACC selection, senior Emilia Lopez, along with junior Christie Gallant, junior Heather Miara, the 2007 CACC Individual Champion and Rookie of the Year, and sophomore Amanda Cavallo. The Lions start the season with a local meet, the Monmouth University Kick-Off, at Thompson Park in Lincroft, NJ, September 5th.   

The complete men's and women's preseason polls are listed below.

 

MEN'S POLL
Rank/School
1. Stonehill
2. UMass-Lowell
3. Southern Connecticut State
4. Adelphi
5. Bentley
6. Saint Rose
7. Felician
8. NYIT
9. Merrimack
10. Assumption

 

WOMEN'S POLL
Rank/School
1. Stonehill
2. Adelphi
3. Southern Connecticut State
4. UMass-Lowell
5. Saint Rose
6. Bentley
7. Merrimack
8. Le Moyne
9. Georgian Court
10. Saint Anselm