LINKS: NCAA REGIONAL PROGRAM | LIVE RESULTS | WOMEN'S LIVE VIDEO | MEN'S LIVE VIDEO | CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTATION LIVE VIDEO
GENESEO, N.Y. (November 12, 2021) – After high-caliber performances at last Saturday's North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championships, the SUNY Delhi women's and men's cross country teams gear up for their first-ever NCAA Regional Championships this Saturday at Geneseo, N.Y.'s Warplane Museum, hosted by SUNY Geneseo. The ladies repeated as NAC Champions in their 5K title chase on Oct. 30, while the men took second behind strong performances that coaches Zach Brown and Ben Finnigan hope translates into regional success and potentially the school's first NCAA national qualifier.
COACH'S COMMENTS...
"Coach Finnigan and I are extremely excited to bring the Broncos to their first ncaa regional meet. It's gonna be a great opportunity to race some of the best teams in Division III. Our Men and Women have been looking great coming off the conference championships and are excited to compete this weekend and represent SUNY Delhi in our region." - Head coach Zach Brown
The Broncos previewed the regional course back on Oct. 2 for SUNY Geneseo's Mike Woods Invitational. The men placed 19th in their first of three 8K races to date behind Seth Bywater's career-best finish of 26:14.9. John Amenta was the team's second-highest finisher with a 26:29.7 time in his 8K collegiate debut, along with Aidan Cutting at 27:44.3 and Lewis Race running a 28:05.0. The women placed 24th in their lone 6K race of the season, with Marissa Lombardi leading the group at 25:55.4 and Katerina Salcedo next for the Broncos at 26:08.0. This was followed by Mary Lyons at 27:11.0, Sophie Stewart's 27:13.0, then Kailyn Oreglio at 27:58.7 for a sub-28 top five.
The Lady Broncos captured their second straight NAC title on Oct. 30, with all seven runners earning All-NAC finishes - Sophie Stewart (4th, 23:10.8 time), Marissa Lombardi (9th, 24:18.6), Mary Lyons (10th at 24:22.8), Kristina Messler (11th, 24:31.5), Kailyn Oreglio (12th, 24:41.2), Shyanne Lawton (14th, 24:49.2), Katerina Salcedo (15th, 24:57.0). Salcedo and Messler each earned NAC weekly honors during the season. Salcedo earned NAC Runner of the Week after posting team-best 4K times of 17:31.80 at Hartwick on Sept. 1 and 17:00.3 at Le Moyne Sept. 4. Messler earned NAC Rookie of the Week running 4K times of 18:25.34 at Hartwick and 17:09.9 at Le Moyne. The following week she swept both NAC Runner and Rookie of the Week when she clocked in a team-leading 21:44.9 at the Vassar 5K on Sept. 11. She then bettered that time the following week at SUNY Oneonta, finishing in a time of 21:41.5.
The men earned second place at the championship meet, led by Bywater's second-place finish in a time of 27:42.7 for First Team All-NAC, just ten seconds off the top time. Amenta and Aidan Cutting joined Bywater on the first team with respective times of 28:39.2 and 28:44.5 for sixth and seventh place. Lewis Race took Second Team All-NAC with a 14th-place mark of 29:25.8. The Broncos ran an additional 8K race at UAlbany on Oct. 15, led by Amenta's 26:34.0 finish, followed by Bywater at 27:02.1 and Cutting at 27:33.3. Aidar Matthews came through at 28:12.3 and Race at 28:38.4.
