For Immediate Release: October 16, 2004
Contact: David O'Brian (dobrian@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

Cross country teams head to America East Conference Championships

VESTAl, N.Y.--The Binghamton men's and women's cross country teams head to the America East Conference Championships this weekend at New Hampshire. It will mark the fourth time that the Bearcats have taken part in the meet since joining the conference in 2001. The women's team appears ready to improve upon their fifth-place showing last season while the men's team is seeking to beat last year's seventh-place finish.

Junior Erica Angell (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), who finished 12th at last year's conference meet, is one of the top runners heading into the women's meet. She is undefeated against all other America East Conference runners this season and two weeks ago, she captured the Albany Invitational individual title. Fellow juniors Stacy Kramer (Loudonville, N.Y.) and Kathryn Murnane (Rockville Center, N.Y.) are two other runners who are looking to place high this weekend.

On the men's side, junior Prahlad Genung (Afton, N.Y.) is Binghamton's top runner heading into this weekend's meet.

The top 10 runners in both the men's and women's race will earn all-conference honors. The lone Binghamton runner to have earned such an accolade was Matt Dresser, who was ninth in the 2001 men's race. Angell's performance last season is the highest Binghamton showing in the women's race. Lauren Tuchband was 14th in the 2001 event.

Last season New Hampshire swept both the men’s and women’s championships, held at the University at Albany. It was the third-straight year the Wildcat men had won while the women’s team ended a seven-year championship run by Boston University.

Boston University has won 12 of the previous 15 women’s championships. New Hampshire and University of Vermont (1989) are the only schools from the present membership to have also won a women’s title.

New Hampshire has won five of the last six men's meets. Boston University has won 10 titles with Northeastern University (1988) winning the other.