Cross Country
Cross Country Chair: Mike ReifE-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Syracuse University's Lowry wins NACAC XC Championships
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – Team USA athletes ran away from the competition at the eighth annual North American, Central America, and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain, Trinidad by sweeping the team gold medals. USA athletes also struck gold in three of four individual competitions under the hot, humid conditions.
The NACAC Championships contested races for the Open men's 8 km, Open women's 6 km, Junior men's 6 km and Junior women's 4 km.
Team USA’s sweep of the team titles at this event marks the first time a country has swept the team titles since Team USA first accomplished this feet during the meet’s inaugural year in 2005.
Team USA’s Junior Men followed conservative tactics given the warm, steamy conditions, temperatures were in the upper 80’s and low 90’s with high humidity, and were content to run with the pack -- ignoring early breakaways by athletes from Jamaica and Costa Rico -- through most of two circuits of the three loop course before the red-white-and-blue clad athletes began to assert themselves. USA Junior Cross Country Champion Jace Lowry, a freshman at Syracuse University, surged away from the field over the final six hundred meters to win in 18:51.
“It was me and a Canadian who took the lead and worked until a kilometer to go, when I just took the lead and brought it home,” said Lowry.
Augustana’s Adam Braun claimed silver for the U.S. in 18:55 and combined with Adam Zutz, fourth in 19:02, and Aaron Bartnick, fifth in 19:02 to give Team USA a team total of 12 pts., ahead of Team Canada’s 29 points and Puerto Rico’s 68 pts.
Lowry qualified for the US Junior team (ages 19/under) with his win at the USA Cross Country Championships on February 11th in St. Louis, MO.
Jace Lowry Bio:
Syracuse University, Freshman
Paragon, Ind.
Martinsville High School
High School: Two-time Indiana All State XC, Member of Indiana All Star XC Team
2011 HS Personal Bests: 3200m (8:58), 1600m (4:13), 800m (1:54)
Photo and Bio courtesy of www.suathletics.com2011 Niagara Association USATF Open Cross Country Championships
Sunday November 20th 2011
Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, NY
More information and entry form -->
2011_niagara_openxc_entry 53.23 KbRegistration Page
D&C Article from Leo Roth
Check out this article from 10-29-11. Posted with permission of Leo Roth and the D&C
dc_article_11-29-11_leo_roth_on_xc 682.43 Kb

It is well known in the Niagara Association region that most high school runners get involved or started in our sport because of cross country. The Niagara Association region has produced a number of individual and team state high school champions. In 2008 Joe Whelan (pictured left) of Hamburg HS, Ale x Hatz (pictured right) of Fayetteville-Manlius HS, Courtney Chapma n (pictured left) of Fayetteville-Manl ius HS, Brenna Sym oniak of Amherst HS, and Amanda Moreland of Bloomfield HS each won individualstate titles in their respective class. Also in 2008 Honeoye Falls Lima HS boys team, Fayetteville-Manlius HS girl's team, and East Aurora HS girl's te am all captured Team NY State Titles. High school Cross Country runners have al so excelled well beyond the NY State Championships. 
In 2007 two New York State Section V runners, Zachary Rivers of Victor HS (photo on left) and Pat Du pont of Fairport HS (photo on right) both qualified at the North East Regional for the Footlocker National Championship event. Both athletes have made the Orange of Syracuse University their home. 2008 found Joe Whelan of Hamburg HS finishing 3rd at the Footlocker North East Regional, which earned him an entry at the Footlocker National Championship in San Diego. Whelan went on to finish 9th in San Diego. Not only has the Niagara Association region individual cross country runners achieved success at Regional and National Championships, but teams have also been crowned champions the Nike Cross Nationals formally known as Nike Team Nationals, which crowns the top High School Team each year has been dominated by Niagara region high school girls teams.
Four years in a row Niagara region high school girls teams have been crowned National Champs. In 2005 Hilton HS girl's team won the National Title, pictured to the left. 2006, 2007, and again in 2008 for third straight year Fayetteville-Manlius HS girl's team has taken owed that honor on best in the nation. College teams such as the Division III SUNY Cortland
me n's cross country team, pictured below, Niko Viglione, Josh Henry, and Shamus Nally with US Congressman Michael Arcuri, in 2008 won national championship. In Division I the Syracus e University women’s cross country team qualified for Nationals while men's team member Dan Busby qualified and went to the Division I Cross Country National Championship race in Indiana. Cross country running has not just ended at the high school and college level. Cross country in the Niagara region for the open and masters level athletes have also seen success. A power house Niagara Association club Genesee Valley Harriers (GVH) Masters team has won 22 Cross Country National Championships since 1998. Most recently in February of 2009 the GVH men’s masters team of 50 + captured the Cross Country Winter Nationals in
Derwood, Maryland. There have been many individual master champions in cross country most notable David O’Keeffe (pictured leading on right) who captured Nationals Titles in 45+49 age division in 2005 and 2006. O’Keeffe was named 2005 and 2006 Cross Country Masters Runner of the Year, which is a great accomplishment. Another notable performance by a Niagara masters runner was in 2005 when Scott Bagley of Rochester seen here finishing 2nd overall in a very
tight Masters 10 km Club National Championship race in Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, NY. Bagley was out kicked by less than a second to Champion Pete Magill of California. Anyone who witnessed the event at Genesee Valley Park that day said it was one of the most exciting finishes they have ever seen. In the Open division the Niagara Club that placed the highest at a Cross Country National Championship was the Open GVH men’s team in 2006 in San Francisco. The GVH men’s team finished 12th out of 42 clubs from around the United States. Brockport Distance Project led by Vanessa Martell, who placed 32nd overall, won Women's Open team honors at the 2009 USA XC Championships, in Deerwood, MD.
The sprit of cross country continues to grow in our region do in part to Pete Glavin’s (pictured left) effort in hosting the annual Upstate New York XC Series. This event series gives area clubs teams from all over western and central New York the opportunity to compete in cross country each fall. On December 5, 2009 Peter Glavin of Greece was awarded the 2009 USATF Cross Country Council Award in recognition of his efforts, service, and support of cross country. The award was presented by 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Dan O'Brien, decathlete, and Mike Scott, Cross Country Council Chairman, at the 31st Annual Meeting of USATF in Indianapolis, IN. Glavin has conducted the Upstate NY Cross Country Series for 20 years, for several years he has directed the McQuaid XC Invitational, directed the 2005 USATF Club Cross Country Championships at Genesee Valley Park, and is a founding member of the Genesee Valley Harriers.
On March 20, 2010, 180 Friends of Pete Glavin held an informal run in his honor to support
Pete and the Glavin Family. The 5 km run started at Irondequoit High School at 260 Cooper Road and finished at Sunset House at 3746 St. Paul Boulevard. Run participants visited with Pete after the run. Please read the Messenger Post tribute to Pete:
3-17-2010_mpn_tribute_to_glavin 17.32 Kb

Steve Mangan nips HF-L teammate Deir to capture 2009 McQuaid XC Invite title.
10-4-2009_d__c_article_mcquaid_results 55.37 KbAlex Deir of Honeoye Falls-Lima dominates high school cross country.
d__c_article_10-2-2009_mangan_dier_hf-l_dandy_running_duo 58.85 Kb243 teams set to compete at McQuaid Invitational.
d__c_article_10-2-2009_mcquaid_xc_invite 53.44 KbUSATF Niagara Association
Open Men’s & Women's Cross Country - Individual Champions
| Date |
Site | Dist. | Men's Champion |
Dist. | Women's Champion |
| 11-15-10 | Centre Park, Fairport |
8 km | Kyle Heath, Syracuse |
6 km | Amanda LoPiccolo, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 11-15-09 | Finger Lakes CC, Canandaigua |
8 km | Kyle Heath, Syracuse |
6 km | Cait Bradley, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 11-16-08 | Finger Lakes CC, Canandaigua |
5 mile |
Neal Holtschulte, Genesee Valley Harriers |
3.92 mile |
Katie Aldridge, Genesee Valley Harriers |
| 11-18-07 | Finger Lakes CC, Canandaigua |
5 mile |
Scott Shaw, Syracuce Track Club |
3.92 mile |
Allison Carr, VM Project |
| 11-19-06 | Genesee Valley Park, Rochester |
8 km | Ryan Pauling, Genesee Valley Harriers |
6 km | Amanda Laytham, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 10-9-05 | Genesee Valley Park, Rochester |
8 km | Ryan Pauling, Genesee Valley Harriers |
6 km | Allison Carr, Checkers AC |
| 11-14-04 | Genesee Valley Park, Rochester |
8 km | Ryan Pauling, Genesee Valley Harriers |
6 km | Jennifer Rettke, Genesee Valley Harriers |
| 10-12-03 | Black Creek Park, Chili |
8 km | Mark Andrews, Syracuse Chargers TC |
5 km | Jennifer Patruno, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 10-13-02 | Black Creek Park, Chili |
8 km | Anthony Gallo, Syracuse Chargers TC |
5 km | Jennifer Patruno, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 10-7-01 | Black Creek Park, Chili |
8km | Mike Melfi, Syracuse Chargers TC |
5km | Becky Heuer, Checkers AC |
| 10-8-00 | Genesee Valley Park, Rochester |
8km | Mike Melfi, Syracuse Chargers TC |
5km | Mickey Kelly, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 10-10-99 | Genesee Valley Park, Rochester |
8km | Derek White, Genesee Valley Harriers |
5km | Kristin Schiesswohl, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 9-26-98 | Ontario County Park, South Bristol |
8km | Jim Nicholson, Syracuse Chargers TC |
8km | Linda Grossman, Genesee Valley Harriers |
| 9-27-97 | SUNY at Cortland | 8km | Matt Annabel, Genesee Valley Harriers |
5km | Heather Swarts, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 10-12-96 | RobertsWesleyan, North Chili |
8km | David O’Keefe, Checkers AC |
5km | Heidi McMillan, Syracuse Chargers TC |
| 10-15-95 | Finger Lakes CC, Canandaigua |
8km | Kevin Collins, Syracuse Chargers TC |
5km | Loren Mooney, High Noon AC |
| 9-24-94 | Stuart Park, Newark |
8km | Ray Appenheimer, Buffalo |
5km | Beth DeCiantis, Rochester |
| 9-26-93 | Stuart Park, Newark |
8km | Jim Nicholson, Syracuse Chargers TC |
5km | Loren Mooney, Ithaca Women |



