With the 2012 America East cross country season ready to begin, the Albany men and the Stony Brook women are both out to defend their respective conference championships.
The Great Danes lose individual runner-up Christopher Burke, but do return a trio of seniors in 2012, all of whom finished within the top 15 in last year's championship race. Paul Lagno (5th), Ethan Clary (8th) and Alex Lauchanka (13th) figure to be essential to Albany's repeat bid. Also returning is sophomore Chris Buchanan, who rounded out Albany's scoring five in the championship a year ago with a 32nd place finish.
The Seawolves lost the conference individual champion in Hayley Green and also the sixth-place finisher in Partricia Barry. However, Stony Brook does have the luxury of returning two more top 10 finishers in senior Annie Keown and junior Olivia Burne. Seniors Mary O'Connor and Page Price will also be important to the quest for a sixth straight conference title.