Cross Country NYCAC Champions Again

by Mark Ginocchio

For the fourth consecutive year, Adelphi University's Men's Cross-Country team was victorious in the NYCAC championship after they defeated rival CW Post on Saturday, October 30.

Adelphi was led by All-Conference runner junior Paul Hargrove, who finished first for the Panthers and third overall, with a time of 29:53.  Sophomore Matt Colao finished right behind Hargrove, in fifth place, with a time of 30:38.  Senior Nick Gardner finished the 8K course with a time of 31:12, senior Gordon Miller ran a time of 32:03 and freshman Ben Gooch finished fifth for the Panthers with a time of 32:04.

Although the team expected winning the NYCAC Championship this year, given their triumphant record since 1996, the victory was still certainly sweet because the Panthers had lost a race to CW Post the week before.  However, as Ben Gooch put it, "The first race against Post gave us a feeling for our times and let us know where we stood against them.  We knew Post was our competition and that they were the team to beat."

It wasn't always easy for Coach James Sewill's team.  The team lost a lot of close meets against some of the Non-Conference competitors.  The runners were posting good times, but the team just wasn't placing well. However, the team was able to continue its winning ways when everything was on the line.  "We came together as a team when the time was right," commented Gooch.

Adelphi University's Men's Cross-Country has won the NYCAC Championship every year since 1996.  The team certainly can't wait to continue this winning tradition next season, but for now, many of the teams' runners are bracing themselves for winter track, which will be starting within the next month.