Ramsey, Nationally-Ranked Saints Ready for 2009 NCAA Regional Race
by:
Tara FreemanThe Saints enter the Atlantic Regional ranked 17th in the nation and 4th in the region.
Nov. 11: The St. Lawrence University men's cross country team, ranked 17th in the latest national polls, will be back in action this weekend as the Saints compete in the 2009 NCAA Atlantic Regional race at Letchworth State Park. The Saints, led by junior captain Dan Ramsey, enter the event ranked 4th in a stacked region that includes three of the top-10 teams in the country.
The Atlantic Regional race, which was held at St. Lawrence University in 2008, is used to help set the field for the NCAA Championship competition. The winning and runner-up teams earn automatic bids into the 2009 NCAA Championship field, while the teams that finish third, fourth and fifth are eligible for consideration for an at-large bid.
"The Atlantic Region certainly boasts some of the most talented and deep teams in the country, but we've been running well and are looking forward to the challenge on Saturday," said St. Lawrence head coach John Newman, whose team received an at-large bid into last year's NCAA Championship following a 4th place finish in 2008. "Our squad has been running well from top to bottom, and we'll need our top scorers to have a big day to keep our chances of earning a bid alive."
Ramsey leads the pack of veteran runners for St. Lawrence, as the Essex Junction, VT native has won four of his last five events including the Saratoga Invitational, NYSCTC Championship and the Liberty League Championship. Junior Jeremy Mwenda and seniors Jacob Malcomb, Geoff Millard, Terrence Fox and Jeremy Beaudette will also be key to the team's success at the NCAA Qualifier.
Saturday's Atlantic Regional race will begin at 12:00pm. Meanwhile, the 2009 NCAA Championship field will be announced on Sunday afternoon.