Sept. 2, 2010
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men's cross country team will open the 2010 season on Saturday when it participates in the UMES Invitational in Princess Anne, Md., at 10:30 a.m. Navy will join UMES, Hampton and Norfolk State at the event.
2010 Season Preview
A year after capturing a share of its first ever Patriot League Championship in 2008, the Navy men's cross country team proved to be even stronger last season as it took home the league title outright. With the team's core nucleus returning in 2010, there is no reason to believe the Midshipmen wont be right back atop the conference this season.
2010 will mark the 43rd season that head coach Al Cantello has been at the helm of the Navy men's cross country team. In leading the Mids to consecutive league championships, Cantello added to his illustrious list of personal honors by garnering his second Patriot League Coach of the Year honor.
Despite having a talented squad returning, and entering the year as two-time defending league champions, Cantello is well aware of the potential pitfalls ahead.
"As the cliché goes, `it's sometimes harder to defend the title than to win it,'" Cantello said. "Nevertheless, it is one of our goals to again win the league championship. Then, as always, we want to make to the NCAA Championships - the `Big Dance' - which we have done over a dozen times during my tenure at USNA."
The Mids will look to a familiar face to lead this season in senior and Patriot League Runner of the Year, Andrew Hanko. Last year Hanko led Navy in every meet in which he competed, as he took first place overall on three occasions, including the Patriot League Championship. The native of Montville, N.J., also garnered All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors for the second consecutive year after placing 13th at the regional championships.
Though proud of his second consecutive all-region honor, Hanko finished just one place shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championships - something that will motivate he and the team for the upcoming season.
"Andrew is a quiet, resolute competitor who will be our team leader," said Cantello. "He already has an enviable running resume in both track and cross country."
In addition to Hanko, the Mids will also count on fellow senior Matt De Villers. De Villers was injured for a majority of the 2009 season before returning to compete in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, where he was Navy's third-highest finisher.
"Matt is a pure distance runner who, for good measure, clocked a 4:12 indoor mile last season," said Cantello.
While the Mids will be the benefactor of the valuable experience of Hanko and De Villers, they will undoubtedly rely heavily on a talented junior class, which includes six runners with significant experience. James Pearson, Cody Rome, Dominic DellaPelle, Ken Bunnell, Jeremy Haney and Ross Hughes will all be counted on to contribute to the Mids' success this season.
Pearson is perhaps the most heralded of the bunch as his 23rd-place finish at the NCAA Regional meet last season earned him a spot on the All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team. The Second-Team All-Patriot League runner scored in six of his seven races and delivered four top-15 finishes as a sophomore in 2009.
"James is a bread and butter man," said Cantello.
Rome finished second behind Hanko in four races in 2009, including at the Patriot League Championship where his third-place finish earned him first-team all-league honors.
"Cody ran a 4:05 mile last year - he defines `competitor,'" Cantello said. "He knows not the meaning of the word intimidation."
The strength of the Mids' roster continues with DellaPelle and Bunnell. DellaPelle had three top-15 finishes in 2009 while Bunnell's 12th-place finish at the Patriot League Championships earned him second-team all-league honors.
"Ken is a lumbering heart with legs - he's the ultimate team man," Cantello said. "He ran a 8:21 in the 3,000m and is tough as steel."
Hughes and Haney, the 2008 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, round out the seasoned junior class; each gained valuable experience in 2009 by both competing in seven meets.
"Ross is among the grittiest we've ever had - that's saying plenty," Cantello said. "He has transformed himself into a Division I achiever."
The wealth of talent and experience in the upper classes makes Navy one of the most solid teams in the conference, and if that wasn't enough, the Mids also have a pair of talented sophomores in Dean Black and Kyle Satterwhite.
Black made his mark last season as he was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year and garnered second-team all-conference accolades after running to a 10th-place finish at the league championship. Black's finish marked the fourth consecutive year a Navy freshman posted the fastest time among rookies at the Patriot League Championship.
"Dean will be a total surprise to all eastern runners - watch out for him," said Cantello.
Satterwhite appeared in five meets last season as a freshman, gaining valuable experience that he will surely benefit from this fall.
"Being thrown to the wolves last season has proven to be an asset as his preseason has been brilliant," Cantello said.
The Mids also have several freshmen on the roster this season that have the ability to contribute.
Two newcomers that have caught the eye of Cantello during preseason training are Clay Elward and Eamonn McCarey.
"I've been here a long time," said Cantello. "And since I've been here, we've only had four or five impact freshmen - Eamonn could be the sixth."
