Excitement High as Cross Country Team Races into 2018 Season
The Alfred State cross country team will look to continue to be a contender for the ACAA crown in 2018. The women's team won the ACAA title last year while the men's team was 2nd.
Olivia Leonti (Port Byron) and Katherine Frascella (Franklinville) return to the women's team. Leonti ran to 1st team All-ACAA honors last year when she ran a season best 26:35 at the conference championships. Frascella was also a 1st team All-ACAA athlete after running to a 4th place finish in 26:53.4.
2nd year head coach Steve Paternostro is excited to watch the development of his newcomers and he expects big things from freshmen Veronica Dailey (Addison) and Julia Russell (Candor).
On the men's side, Shawn Rutledge (Watkins Glen), Austin Demberg (Westtown/Minisink Valley, and Ryan Lohr (West Seneca West) return to anchor the team. Rutledge ran to 1st team All-ACAA honors as a freshmen last year when he finished 6th in 28:91.4 and had a season best run of 27:04.6 at Houghton. Demberg enters his senior season after finishing 12th and earning 2nd team All-ACAA honors last year (30:29.6) while Lohr enters his sophomore season after finishing 13th at last year's championships (30:42.5).
A trio of newcomers, Matthew Connolly (Elmira Notre Dame), Jonathon Palmer (Shawane, WI), and Jacob Wadsworth, will make immediate impact on the team.
Paternostro has enjoyed the preseason and looks forward to seeing the development of the team. "This team has worked hard this preseason and has grown into a very tight group. I look forward to seeing how this team matures as we continue to train and compete."
