Men's Harriers Seek Fourth Straight National Title at Friday's USCAA Championships

Seth Bywater and Abshir Yerow fist pumping each other before a race.
Nick George

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (November 7, 2019) – The SUNY Delhi men's cross country team has a shot at history at Friday's USCAA National Championships, as they will look to capture four straight national titles for the second time in school history. Having won the previous three USCAA 8K meets, head coach Robb Munro and the Broncos are confident heading to Virginia Beach after winning their first North Atlantic Conference (NAC) team title on Saturday.

2019 Season Review

  • Won three regular-season meets, including defeating Hartwick, 17-46, in a 4K dual meet on Aug. 30, followed by winning the 8K Oneonta Airfield Invitational on Sept. 14 and the 5K Bronco Classic on Oct. 8. The men also finished third at the 8K UAlbany Invitational on Oct. 18 in a field of NCAA Division I and II programs, where they set the five-man average 8K school record at 26:09.
  • Captured their fourth straight NCAA conference title by winning the NAC Championships Saturday at Northern Vermont Lyndon. Delhi won with 25 points as all seven Broncos runners earned all-league status, with four on the first team and three on the second team. Freshman Aiden Berlinski won the individual championship with a time of 28:51.4.

Historically Speaking...

  • A victory Friday will mark SUNY Delhi men's cross country's first stretch of four or more consecutive national titles since winning seven straight NJCAA National Championships from 2004 to 2010. The program has won 16 national titles in all, 13 in the NJCAA era and three in the USCAA era.
  • Abshir Yerow, Lucas Reilly, Ted Oster, Kevin Malen, Devon Benarick and Jack Hopkins return from last year's championship squad. Reilly, a senior, looks to make it a perfect four-for-four in helping the Broncos to a national championship, as he is set to compete in his fourth USCAA race.
  • The Broncos' USCAA success the last three seasons were matched with NCAA conference success, as they won the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Championship each year from 2016 to 2018.

The Runners

Abshir Yerow – Third-Year Runner (Syracuse, NY / Nottingham)

  • USCAA Runner of the Week and three-time NAC Runner of the Week selection.
  • 2019 First Team All-NAC after finishing second at 29:09.3
  • 2018 USCAA First Team All-American
  • Career at USCAA's: 2018 – 2nd, 26:11.63

Seth Bywater – Freshman (Cornwall, NY / Cornwall Central)

  • USCAA Runner of the Week and two-time NAC Rookie of the Week selection.

Lucas Reilly – Senior (Port Jervis, NY / Port Jervis)

  • 2019 First Team All-NAC after finishing sixth at 30:22.1
  • Two-time USCAA First Team All-American (2017, 2018)
  • Career at USCAA's: 2018 – 4th, 26:41.15 / 2017 – 4th, 26:59.41 / 2016 – 19th, 27:18.0

Aaron Vivlamore – Freshman (Red Creek, NY / Red Creek)

  • Bronco of the Week selection.
  • 2019 First Team All-NAC after finishing seventh at 30:42.0

Aidan Cutting – Freshman (Unadilla, NY / Unatego)

  • 2019 First Team All-NAC after finishing eighth at 31:02.5

Jack Hopkins – Junior (Appleton, NY / Barker)

  • 2019 Second Team All-NAC after finishing 13th at 31:53.5
  • Career at USCAA's: 2018 – 29th, 29:08.26 / 2017 – 27th, 28:31.16

Bladimir Pena – Sophomore (Haverstraw, NY / North Rockland

  • 2019 Second Team All-NAC after finishing 14th at 32:03.0

Ted Oster – Senior (Mastic, NY / William Floyd)

  • 2018 USCAA Second Team All-American
  • Career at USCAA's: 2018 – 9th, 27:48.96 / 2017 – 30th, 28:41.33

Devon Benarick – Sophomore (Endicott, NY / Union-Endicott)

  • Bronco of the Week selection
  • Career at USCAA's: 2018 – 26th, 28:52.48