Sept. 9, 2010
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A week after opening the 2010 season by claiming the team title at the UMES Lid Lifter Invitational, the Navy men's cross country team will head to University Park, Pa., for the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational this Saturday.
About the Harry Groves Invitational
Saturday's meet will take place at Penn State University's Blue and White Golf Course and will begin at 10:45 a.m. In addition to Navy and host Penn State, the field for Saturday's race includes: Buffalo, California (Pa.), Delaware, Geneseo, Georgetown, Indiana (Pa.), Ithaca, LaSalle, Princeton, Scranton, St. Francis (Pa.), St. Joseph's (Pa.) and Widener.
The meet will feature five teams ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic region preseason poll as Georgetown is ranked first, Princeton third, Navy fifth, LaSalle sixth and Delaware 13th. Georgetown is ranked No. 16 in the USTFCCCA national preseason poll.
Recapping the UMES Invitational
The Midshipmen led the four-team field with 28 points, followed by Norfolk State, which took second with 33 points. Sophomore Ricky Hoyt led all Navy runners as he took second place with a time of 25:34.09. Teammates C.J. Elward (25:49.66), Drew Coco (25:57.01), Robert Alvarado (26:03.94) and Chris Burns (26:04.26) finished in consecutive order in the fifth through eighth spots.
Quoting the Coach
Navy head coach Al Cantello on this weekend's Harry Groves Invitational...
"We're running against regionally-ranked teams in Princeton, Georgetown, LaSalle and Delaware. This will be the first time the top-12 runners compete this year. Up until now, we've given everyone a chance. This weekend will be the real opening of our season - on a hostile course we'll see how good we are."
2010 Debut
Saturday will mark the first action of the year for several Midshipmen that did not compete in last weekend's UMES Invitational. Team captain Andrew Hanko, Matthew DeVillers, Ken Bunnell, Ross Hughes, James Pearson, Cody Rome, Mike Sheehan, Dean Black and Kyle Satterwhite are all expected to make their debuts this weekend.
Hanko Leads
Not only is senior Andrew Hanko the Mids' top returning runner, but he is also captain of the 2010 squad. Hanko, the reigning Patriot League Runner of the Year and two-time member of the All-Atlantic Region Team, placed first in three of the seven races in which he competed in last year. The Montville, N.J., native was named the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2007 and has twice been a first-team all-league selection.
Navy and the USTFCCA Poll
The USTFCCCA released its preseason regional polls on Aug. 30 and slotted Navy fifth in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Mids have the highest ranking of any Patriot League team in the region as American seventh, Bucknell 11th and Lehigh 15th.
Up Next
Navy will host the Navy Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the USNA Golf Course. The men's race will begin at 11 a.m.
