STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The first America East champions of the 2015-16 season will be crowned Saturday at Stony Brook University as the Cross Country Championship kicks off a four-week period during which six teams will earn conference titles.
The fast-paced action begins with the 5K women’s championship race at 10 a.m., followed by the 8K men’s race at 11 a.m. Both races will air live on AmericaEast.TV for free and across all devices starting at 9:50 a.m. It is the first time the Cross Country championship has ever been streamed.
Links to the live stream, course maps and more can be found at Championship Central.
New Hampshire women and Binghamton men will be looking to defend their 2014 titles. The Wildcats, who are ranked eighth in the USTFCCCA Northeast Region poll, are aiming for their third-consecutive championship while the Bearcats are trying to become the first repeat champion on the men's side since UNH accomplished the feat in 2008.
Laura Rose Donegan, an All-American in outdoor track last year, is UNH’s top returner after earning All-Conference honors by finishing sixth last year. After redshirting last year, Binghamton’s Collin Frost will lead the Bearcats. He finished ninth in 2013.
Challenging the reigning champions will be several teams on each side. Stony Brook women, which won six straight titles from 2007-12 and placed second the last two years, will ride Christina Melian, a three-time America East Performer of the Week. She finished second in last year's race and will lead an impressive Stony Brook lineup. Vermont, which has placed third each of the last three years, Albany and UMBC also bring strong squads to Long Island.
On the men's side, UMass Lowell is set to threaten for its first America East title in any sport. The River Hawks, who are 10th in the USTFCCCA Northeast Region poll, were second as a team last year and return their top finishers from last year, including Robert Allen, who was third a year ago and won the New England Championship race earlier this year.
UMBC, third a year ago after winning the 2013 title, will push the Bearcats and River Hawks behind Hassan Omar, a two-time America East Performer of the Week and contender for the men's individual title.