2006 PSAC Men's Cross Country Championships Preview

Can Lock Haven win its fourth straight PSAC championship and will Jeff Weiss repeat at conference champion? Those are two of the questions that will be answered today as runners line up at Bloomsburg University for the 2006 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men's cross country championship.

Lock Haven, the top-ranked team in the East Region, started its title run here at Bloomsburg back in 2003. The Bald Eagles will be helped in their attempt at the four-peat by the return of 2004 PSAC champ Ryan Blood (who was injured last year) along with Shawn Moore and Chris Robson. Moore was eighth a year ago for Lock Haven at the PSAC championships.

East Stroudsburg, ranked second in the East, is led by two strong contenders for All-PSAC honors in Drew Nesbitt and Iuri Pinto, 16th at last year's championship meet.

Another to team keep an eye on is Shippensburg. The Red Raiders have captured the team title at three invitationals this year with Allen Hanslovan leading the way.

Edinboro, which had a streak of 11 straight PSAC titles snapped the last time the championships were held at Bloomsburg, is looking to once again contend for the top spot with David Niemira and Josh Arthur as top runners for the Fightin' Scots.

Clarion has jumped into the fifth spot in the regional rankings with junior Chris Clark playing a big role in the success of the Golden Eagles. Clark looks to help his team crack the top five in the PSAC in 2006.

As the host school, the Bloomsburg runners will try to move closer to the top of the standings on their home course. Leading the Huskies will be Justin Shepherd, a third-place finisher last year at the PSAC championships.

Slippery Rock is also looking for a top-five finish as a team with Weiss, who had a 15-second margin of victory last year, leading the way. Also, look for freshman Matt Gray to make an impact with the Rock.

From West Chester, look out for Tommy Pearson who has won two invitationals and finished in the top four in two others, while Peter Gottwald has two second place finishes at invitationals this season.

Kutztown is led by Pat Bone who should be in the mix for All-PSAC honors, while IUP's Jorge Medina, a returning all-conference member, is sure to be among those in the front of the pack. From Mansfield, look for Dave Sanford to be fighting for one of the top 20 spots and the All-PSAC honor.

However the questions get answered, look for another outstanding race among some very tough competitors.