LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The IUP men’s cross country team has been picked third as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) released its 2016 preseason coaches’ poll on Tuesday morning.
(Photo courtesy of IUP Athletics)
The Crimson Hawks are slated to return 10 runners from last year’s team that finished third at the PSAC Championships and fourth at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships.
Shippensburg received 12 of the 16 first-place votes from the coaches to sit atop the preseason poll. Lock Haven, last year’s conference champion, received the other four first-place votes to come in second. Immediately trailing the Crimson Hawks are Edinboro in fourth and Slippery Rock in fifth.
Headlining the group of 10 returners are senior Greg Beaudette (Johnston, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) and junior Austin Cooper (King of Prussia, Pa. /Upper Merion ). Beaudette was an All-Atlantic Region and All-PSAC runner last year, finishing 16th at the conference meet and 23rd at regionals. Cooper earned first team all-conference honors last year with a 15th place finish at the league championships.
Also coming back are Michael Dautlick (Patton, Pa./Cambria Heights), Amir Gordon (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti), Ryan Louther (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana), Noah Mandel (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek), John Michael Mihalek (Coal Center, Pa./California Area), Dylan Ruefle (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton), Dalton Trump (Lancaster, Pa. /J.P. McCaskey) and Tyler Vella (Danville, Pa. /Danville).
Five newcomers look to join that group this fall.
The Crimson Hawks open their 2016 season at Saint Francis’ Father Bede Invitational on Sept. 2.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP cross country on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPtrackNfield.
Full PSAC men’s cross country coaches’ poll listed below. First place votes listed in ( )
1. Shippensburg (12)
2. Lock Haven (4)
3. IUP
4. Edinboro
5. Slippery Rock
6. Kutztown
7. East Stroudsburg
8. Bloomsburg
9. California
10. Mercyhurst
11. West Chester
12. Mansfield
13. Gannon
14. Seton Hill
15. Pitt-Johnstown
16. Cheyney
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