CAMBRIDGE,
Mass.- Stony Brook University--which managed to dethrone Boston University after
the Terriers won the last three consecutive league championships--sits comfortably in first
place in the 2008 America East women’s preseason coaches’ polls after receiving
seven first-place votes and 63 total points.
As a result of last year’s feat, the squad became the first female team
in Stony Brook history to win an America East championship and is looking to
take another.
Boston University
and the University of New Hampshire tied for second in the polls with 52
points, ahead of Binghamton University (40), University of Maine (39),
University at Albany (25), UMBC (24 points), Vermont University (20 points) and
University of Hartford (nine points).
The Seawolves had
five top-ten finishers at the 2007 America East Championship and are returning
all but one of their all-conference performers. Junior Jessica Hampson,
sophomore Holly Van Dalen, junior Laura Huet, and sophomore Lucy Van Dalen--who
scored fourth, seventh, ninth, and tenth, respectively--are a young group
expected to carry the team to a repeat performance.
Boston University, which sits in
second tied with UNH in the polls, had two Top 10 finishers grabbing first and
fifth, but lost both to graduation.
Similarly, New Hampshire, which has not won
a championship since 2003, held the second overall spot last year but will need
underclassmen to fill the spot of All-American Cathy Parker. The top three
winners in the 2007 competition were all held by seniors, leaving an
opportunity for the young legs of the conference to make an impact.
Young talent bodes
well for fourth-place Binghamton, which is
returning sophomore Ashley Horton, who placed 16 in last year’s competition
leading the Bearcats.
Maine is returning its
strong fifth place finisher junior Jessica Belliveau and only lost two seniors to graduation.
Trailing the Black
Bears in sixth is Albany, which is up a
spot from their seventh place finish in last year’s championship.
Seventh-place UMBC,
which will be hosting this year’s championship on November 1, recently hired
new head coach Matt Gittermann and hopes he brings a new spark to the
program.
Vermont, only four points
behind UMBC, will head down to Maryland September 3 to
kick off its season with a young squad that will carry just two upperclassmen
in 2008.
Hartford’s junior Stefanie
Lombardi led the Hawks in every race while qualifying for NCAA Regionals and
will look to continue her streak this season.
For more
information on America East women’s cross country, including complete 2007
championship results, log on to www.americaeast.com.