The Allegheny men's cross country team heads into the 2010 campaign with a deserved amount of confidence as well as a high level of expectation. Coming off its sixth consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference victory, an NCAA Mideast Regional title, and a third-place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championship, this year's senior-laden group is poised for yet another outstanding year. Five members of the team have participated in multiple NCAA championships, while the spring track season provided even more incentive for a serious run at the program's first national crown as the development for its returning group of harriers was evident. Allegheny, which is ranked first in the Mideast region, enters the new campaign ranked third in the NCAA according to the USTFCCCA Cross Country Coaches Poll.
The Gators are paced by senior standouts Chris Marker and Jeramie Parker, who both rumbled to All-American accolades at last season's national meet. The duo also placed first and second at the Mideast Regional Championship, pulling off an improbable sweep of the top two places not commonly seen at any NCAA level. Marker, who also earned his second consecutive All-American honor in the 5000m at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, shattered the school record (14:24.08) in the event during the spring while finishing as the top collegiate runner in a deep and talented field at the Gina Relays in Michigan. Parker secured additional hardware during the last cross country season as the NCAC individual champion and was the team's top finisher at nationals. Parker, who was an All-American in track during his sophomore year, missed the last spring track season while completing an internship with The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Allegheny will put forth an inspired and hungry team, and not just because it returns the top two runners in the region. Senior Zac Ross was a model of consistency last season and a mainstay in the squad's top five. An All-Conference performer in 2009, his experience will be invaluable as the Gators look to keep the delta between their top five runners small.
The 2010 outdoor track season yielded numerous personal records for several student-athletes keen to be a part of Allegheny's scoring contingent this fall. At the head of the list is senior Ryan Sullivan, who broke the 15-minute barrier in the 5000m while racing to the 10k title at the NCAC Championships. Sullivan chopped 30 seconds from his 5k PR in just two short months, and following a solid summer of training, the fourth-year harrier is best positioned for a break-out year. Junior Pat McLaughlin split 15:16 on the track last spring and will also factor into Allegheny's bid for a national title. Both Sullivan and McLaughlin earned All-Conference honors in 2009. Rounding out the Gators' returning core are mid-distance standouts Andrew Mahone and Mike Vlah. Mahone is one of the region's top threats at 800 meters and is the reigning conference champ in the event. Vlah enjoyed a strong rookie campaign last year and boasts the kind of speed that will enable him to develop into a big asset for the team this fall.
The Gators enter the new year expecting to be better than last season's third-place finish at nationals. The group did lose two seniors off its list of scorers, but the emergence of the remaining talent leaves plenty of optimism for a repeat of the team's success. Several quality freshmen, including John Denison and Lee Swaydis, add muscle to Allegheny's already strong lineup, and if it stays healthy, the cross country unit could cover unprecedented ground in its attempt to stay atop the national elite.
