Saints Enter Season Ranked No. 12 in the Nation

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Tara Freeman
The Saints will start the 2010 season ranked No. 12 in the country.

Sept. 2: The St. Lawrence University men's cross country team enters the 2010 season ranked No. 12 in the country, according the first United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll announced on Wednesday.  The Scarlet and Brown are tied with 188 points with Williams College out of the NESCAC.

The Saints, who had an excellent finish to the 2009 season with an 11th place showing at the NCAA Championships, will be in search of the program's 17th consecutive conference title this fall.  The team returns an outstanding blend of veterans and incoming student-athletes that will help the Saints compete with the nation's best squads.

"We expected to be ranked in the top-15 after last season's performance at NCAA's," said St. Lawrence head men's cross country coach John Newman.  "The season we had in 2009 earned us some respect at the national level and, though we're excited about where we're starting the year, our goals are even greater than that."

Leading the way in 2010 will be senior captain and All-America Dan Ramsey, who finished fourth overall at last year's national championship race.  The Essex Junction, VT native, who is the two-time reigning Liberty League Runner of the Year, will be joined by veteran runners Jeremy Mwenda, Seth Jackson, John Johnston and conference Co-Rookie of the Year Sam Rakoc.  This group will look to challenge the best in the Atlantic Region for a bid into NCAA's.

Senior captain Chris Funch and classmate Josh LeBlanc have also gotten off to a solid start in 2010 and will be looking to contribute in the team's scoring seven.

"Having lost four of our top seven runners to graduation, the perception may have been that we would be in a rebuilding year," added Coach Newman.  "Conversely, several guys from last season's team are poised to step into the top-seven and continue our progression on the national level."

Meanwhile, Coach Newman added a solid incoming class of runners that will look to earn a spot in the team's top-seven as well.  Rookie Steve Petramale (Queensbury, NY) was a stand-out athlete and Lake George High School and will be looking to make an immediate impact for the Scarlet and Brown. 

Other first-year students who will add depth to the St. Lawrence squad include Zach Nelson (Knox, NY), Brendan Courneene (Plattsburgh, NY) and North Country high school stand-out Jon Eng (Norwood, NY).

"I'm thrilled with the class that we brought in for this fall," said Coach Newman.  "With so many guys with impressive credentials, yet untapped potential, we look to continue improving for years to come."

The Saints will kick-off the 2010 campaign on Saturday, September 4th at their annual "Run for Ryan/Alumni Race" in Canton, NY.  The team's first true test will come on September 17 at the Oneonta Invitational/Atlantic Pre-Regional race, which will feature many of the premier teams in the region.  Other key dates include the Paul Short Invitational (10/1), the Ronald C. Hoffmann Invitational (10/9), the team's lone home race, the NYSCTC Championship (10/23) and the NCAA Atlantic Regional (11/13).