The 2015 season kicks off this weekend for the majority of America East's cross country programs. Four teams are regionally ranked heading into the campaign as all 18 squads work towards the America East Championship at Stony Brook on October 31.
New Hampshire women and Binghamton men, ranked fourth and 14th, respectively in the USTFCCCA Northeast Regional poll, will be looking to defend their 2014 America East titles. The Wildcats are seeking their third consecutive crown while the Bearcats are aiming to become the first men's squad to repeat since 2008.
The Wildcats return two of the top runners in the conference in Elaina Purrier and Laura Rose Donegan, both outdoor track & field all Americans last year. Purrier was the individual champion at last year's conference championship meet while Donegan was fifth.
Senior Ethan Hausamann, who earned all-conference honors last year after placing 10th in the America East championship meet, will lead the Bearcats.
UMBC men, the conference's 2013 champion, is ranked seventh in the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic poll. The Retrievers will be paced by Hassan Omar, who placed fifth at the conference championship a year ago and was UMBC's top finisher in five of six meets.
Stony Brook women are the final ranked squad. The Seawolves, who won six straight conference championships from 2007 through 2012, will ride Christina Melian. She placed second at the America East Championship a year ago and earned NCAA All-Region honors.
Sixteen of the conference's 18 cross country programs begin competing this weekend with Stony Brook hosting Hartford and UMass Lowell as part of the Stony Brook Season Opener.