2018 Cross Country Schedules Announced

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Men's Cross Country | 6/11/2018 2:30:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - For the second straight year, and the fourth time since 2010, the Daemen College men's and women's cross country teams will open their respective seasons at the Daniel Walker Invitational, one of seven competitions for each team this fall announced today by head coach Paul Lagno. The season-opening meet is hosted by Buffalo State College on Saturday, September 1 at Beaver Island State Park in Grand Island, N.Y.

"I'm really pleased with the way the schedule sets up for us this year," said Lagno who is entering his fourth season with the program. "Our early season races should provide some great competition for us, as well as an opportunity for our freshmen to familiarize themselves with the 6K and 8K distances. Overall, the goal is to be running our best toward the end of the season so we can be competitive at the conference championship and NCAA regional meets."

Both Wildcat teams made successful returns to the Daniel Walker Invitational in 2017, their first appearance at the meet since 2011. The Daemen women saw three individuals place in the top four, paving the way for a first-place finish in the team standings. The Daemen men finished second as a team after seeing two individuals finish in the top three, including race winner Josh Bodnar (Fillmore, N.Y.).

The Wildcats will then compete at the Yellowjacket Invitational hosted by the University of Rochester on Saturday, September 15 at Genesee Valley Park. It'll be Daemen's third appearance at the event since 2015. The Yellowjacket Invitational routinely features more than 25 competing teams in both the men's and women's races.

A longtime staple of the Daemen schedule, the Harry F. Anderson Invitational takes place on Saturday, September 22 as the Wildcats return to Rochester for the second consecutive weekend. The meet is hosted by East Coast Conference rival Roberts Wesleyan College, and the Wildcats will be competing in the event for the seventh consecutive year, and the 12th time since 2005. The Wildcat women placed fifth out of 16 competing teams, while the men placed eighth out of 19 at the 2017 event.

On Saturday, October 6 the Wildcats make their return to the Highlander Invitational, an event they competed in for five straight seasons from 2009-13. The meet is hosted by Houghton College, a fellow former member of the American Mideast Conference now affiliated with NCAA Division III and the Empire 8 Conference.

The Canisius Alumni Classic, slated for Saturday, October 13, is back on the Wildcats' docket for a fourth consecutive season. The meet, which is held at Buffalo's Delaware Park, traditionally features a mix of competing teams, including NCAA Division I affiliates and some from the top division in Canada.

The East Coast Conference Championships will be held Saturday, November 3 in Rochester as Roberts Wesleyan hosts for the third time since 2014. The races will be run on the same course used for the Harry F. Anderson Invitational, something that Lagno hopes gives his teams an edge.

"It's always exciting when ECC's are held in our neck of the woods," Lagno said. "We'll be sure to take full advantage of our time at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational to familiarize ourselves with the course."

The Wildcat women boast three runner-up finishes, and have never placed worse than fourth in five all-time appearances at the ECC Championships. The Daemen men also have never finished worse than fourth, and are coming off back-to-back third-place finishes.

The Daemen squads will each compete at the NCAA Division II East Region Championships on Saturday, November 17 at Bethpage Polo at the Park on Long Island. The top three men's and women's teams will earn the right to compete at the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships which are slated for Sunday, November 18 in Louisville, Ky.

The Wildcat women must cope with the graduation of Amy Trabert (Amherst, N.Y.), one of the team's all-time greats, to open the 2018 season. They'll return seven runners from their 2017 team, including sophomores Savannah Warner (Elma, N.Y.), Mackenzie Tubbs (Elmira, N.Y.) and Ashley Dusza (Alden, N.Y.) who each made an immediate impact last season. The Wildcat men also return seven runners with collegiate experience, including the afore-mentioned Bodnar and senior Lucas Canales (Ithaca, N.Y.) who traded turns as the team's top finisher last season. Combined, the Daemen men's and women's cross country teams return eight of the 10 runners who figured in the scoring for the 2017 NCAA Division II East Region Championships.

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Players Mentioned

Josh Bodnar: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Lucas Canales: 5' 7"; Junior

Amy Trabert: 5' 3"; Senior

Mackenzie Tubbs: 5' 9"; Freshman

Savannah Warner: 5' 5"; Freshman

Ashley Dusza: 5' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Josh Bodnar
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Lucas Canales
: 5' 7"; Junior

Amy Trabert
: 5' 3"; Senior

Mackenzie Tubbs
: 5' 9"; Freshman

Savannah Warner
: 5' 5"; Freshman

Ashley Dusza
: 5' 1"; Freshman