Lehigh University Athletics
Season Preview: Men’s Cross Country Relaxed and Ready for 2015 Season
9/2/2015 9:53:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - With the start of the 2015 season just days away, the Mountain Hawks' men's cross country team has its sights set on heading to the front of the pack in the Patriot League. After a championship in 2012 and a runner-up finish in 2013, Lehigh feels it has the pieces in place to make a push back towards the top of the league, following a sixth place performance at last year's conference championships. The Mountain Hawks have been ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Preseason Poll, the third highest ranking among Patriot League schools.
"So far the season's been good to us," said head coach Todd Etters. "We've been pretty much all entirely healthy. They've been really relaxed because they know it's still mid-August so they know there's no rush to get things in. So they're really in the right place at the right time."
With six seniors departing from last season, including three-time first team All-Patriot League selection Ryan Mahalsky, the 2015 squad's three seniors - Sean Burke, Evan Hardy and Evan Ward - will be looked upon to help lead the team and set the tone for the underclassmen.
"We don't name team captains, so we rely heavily on our seniors to be leaders," Etters said. "Our leaders are the epitome of doing everything the right way. I feel good about where we're at with our leadership. Right now they're very relaxed and very confident and that's good."
"Sean (Burke) is coming off being an All-East finisher in the 10K. He looks really strong," said Etters. "I think he's the kind've guy in our program who has bided his time and worked really hard and we saw some big things out of him last year and am expecting bigger things out of him this year."
"The guy we saw some breakout performances from in (the) indoor (season) is Evan Ward," Etters added. "(Ward) is the type the kind of guy you like to have in your program. He's learned and developed into someone who is really consistent and who we can rely on, and you definitely need that when you talk about five guys having to score in a meet. We've also got Evan Hardy. He was a really high contributor early in his career then had some injury woes. But Evan can certainly be an all-league performer for us and I expect that to happen."
One big note for this year's team is youth, as the team features 11 sophomores, many of whom competed in indoor and outdoor track last season and showed very high potential.
"Our sophomore class is without a doubt the biggest class we've ever had and I think they can all be impactful," said Etters. "There's a few of them that were really good as freshmen and wound up on the varsity squad at the end of the year. I expect big things out of them.
"Traditionally, with our program and the way we train our runners, sophomores take a big jump so I really think we have the ingredients there with that class to really build around them in the future but also utilize what they can do right now. There is going to be more pressure on them but I think they're ready for that."
Sophomore Patrick Reilly and junior Ryan Cooney finished four/five among Mountain Hawks at last year's Patriot League Championships.
"I think what they've done in the regional cross country meet, the indoor season and outdoor seasons have really prepared them for what they can do this fall," Etters said. "Ryan Cooney performed really well and we expect him to carry that on. Reilly was as good as they get as a freshman. We're hoping that they can be all-league candidates this year."
The league championships at Colgate on Halloween will mark the first time Lehigh returns to the same course they won the Patriot League title on three years ago. Could that be a good omen for the Mountain Hawks?
"I think it probably comes into play in the back of their minds, but honestly I think these guys just really want to make that next leap and get back up towards the top of the league and I think they'll race anywhere to be able to do that" believes Etters. "I'm sure it'll bring back good memories. It's certainly not going to hurt us that's for sure."
For now the team is focused on continuing to grow its rapport with each other and build into what they hope will be a successful campaign.
"You don't want to be feeling all kinds of pressure in August, you want to have everything under control and let that develop and build into something big by the time the championship rolls around," the coach concluded.
Friday's season-opening 6K run will begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature opponents La Salle, Moravian and Muhlenberg. Lehigh's dual meet with Lafayette will take place on Sept. 19 in Easton, Pa., before the team will host the Annual Paul Short Run on Oct. 2. Two weeks later, the Mountain Hawks will travel to the Princeton Invitational, before competing at the Patriot League Championships on Oct. 31.
