FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2006
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - With a core nucleus of veterans returning to both the men's and women's cross country squads, the Blue and White are ready to make some noise within the Northeast Conference in 2006. The Class of 2008 is a significant class for the men's squad as juniors
Matt Caporaso (Matawan, N.J./Old Bridge),
Dustin Coleman (East Greenwich, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) and
Randy Hadzor (Lafayette, N.Y./Lafayette) return with more experience and are hungry to move to the top of the NEC. Senior
Malia Lyles (Collingswood, N.J./Cherokee) will be the key leader for a young team that features eight strong freshman, who are all capable of helping right away.
The junior class will not be the only ones to lead the men's team as seniors Martin Suarez (Burlington, N.J./Holy Cross),
Larry Schau (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville),
Will Springman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and David Gaines (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck) are provide senior leadership along with graduate student
Craig Segal (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel) who comes to West Long Branch with one year of eligibility left from his time at Villanova. Segal returns to the area as the Holmdel High School graduate will be among the top runners in the Northeast Conference and the region this year.
Suarez led the Blue and White at several meets last season and is one of several returners capable of earning All-Northeast Conference honors this fall. Schau joined Caporaso as the only two members of the Blue and White who earned All-East honors last fall. Springman returns to the course this season after battling injuries in 2005, but is very capable of running in the Hawks' top seven. Gaines is a local legend as the Colts Neck graduate will help the cross country squad as he converts over from his usual middle distance for track and field.
Coleman and Hadzor will be among the Blue and White's top seven all season long as Hadzor was among the top four in almost every meet last season as he converted hockey and lacrosse player who is making great strides and progress as a distance runner. Coleman has been a constant in the top five for the Blue and White for the last two years and looks to be among the All-NEC contenders this year.
Lyles will be the key to the women's team success as the senior captain finished seventh last year at the Northeast Conference Championships and will be among the top contenders for the individual NEC title. Sophomore
Jessica Jones (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Dallas) finished in the top-30 last season at Northeast Conference championships last season and will look to contend for an All-NEC spot this upcoming season.
The women add a talented group of freshmen as the group of eight will have an immediate impact on the Hawks. Local freshman
Laura Embrey (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) will be a key part of the young group along with
Rachel Ruggiano (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional), Corrine La Chac (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) and
Cailin Lynam (Sparta, N.J./Sparta).
Members of both the men and women have spent countless hour training this summer and the improvements show as over 40 athletes of both squads logged between 40 and 100 miles per week, and totaled roughly 27,000 miles to ready for this fall and to compete for the Northeast Conference Championship.
Both squads open up with this weekend's Monmouth University Cross Country Kickoff, an event that both teams won last season, as Monmouth plays host to Long Island, Albany, Wagner, Temple, Drew and Fairleigh Dickinson at Thompson Park. The women's four-kilometer race begins at 10 a.m., while the men's six-kilometer race is set to begin at 10:45 a.m.
