Cross Country Reports for Practices Sunday
8/14/2009 10:51:42 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The start of the University of North Florida's 2009-10 men's and women's cross country season is right around the corner as Head Coach Mark VanAlstyne and the rest of the Ospreys reports for camp on Sunday, Aug. 16.
A 1990 graduate of UNF, VanAlstyne moves into his second decade of coaching at UNF and his first eligible season for NCAA Division I postseason competition.
“This is a new era for us, said VanAlstyne. These recruits, the new ones that are arriving and the ones that came in last year, this is our Division I team. We are excited and this campaign will end with postseason competition, whether its regionals or nationals, we know that we have the opportunity this year. I can't wait to get started and I know the athletes feel the same way.”
Since the Ospreys inaugural season into Division I reclassification in 2005, VanAlstyne had his best season with the men's cross country team last year, finishing fourth in the conference championships.
As for the women they have finished fourth three out of the four seasons in the A-Sun Conference Championships. The women missed the 2006 title by just 14 points.
The men will be returning nine out of the 16 runners from last year's team. Of the nine there will be three seniors Chris Fulcher, Samuel Palmer, and Craig Sinbine.
Leading the way for the men is junior William Pearce who finished 19th in the 8k run out of the 83 runners at the A-Sun Championships. For the women, Hillary Adams, will be one of the eager runners looking forward to her senior year at UNF. Last season she soared to a 12th place finish out of 74 runners at the A-Sun Championships.
The women will be returning seven out of the 11 runners from last season's squad. Of the seven three are seniors Adams, Melissa Adams and Jessica Villemaire.
With a little less then a month away from the first meet the men's and women's cross country squads will have some work to do, preparing for the JU Short Course Duals on Sept. 4 and the University of North Dakota and
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