For Immediate Release: November 21, 2002

Contact: Cathy Wenzka, SUNYAC Publicist

SEVERAL ATHLETES TO COMPETE AT THE
2002 NCAA DIVISON III CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

FREDONIA, NY – The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) will be well-represented Saturday at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Northfield, MN, hosted by St. Olaf College.

Both Geneseo and Cortland saw their women’s teams qualify after finishing first and fourth, respectively, in last weekend’s NCAA Atlantic Regional meet. Geneseo’s Melissa White (Canandaigua/Naples) won the race in 22:34, while Cortland’s Liz Ackley (Keene, NH/Keene) finished in second with a time of 23:04.

Women’s individual qualifiers include Oswego’s Susan McWilliams (Central Square/Mexico), Plattsburgh’s Amanda Jinks (Pavilion/Pavilion) and Fredonia’s Morgan Burrows (Lockwood/Waverly), who finished third, fourth and tenth respectively.

Plattsburgh’s Jay Wells (Ticonderoga/Ticonderoga) was the top men’s SUNYAC finisher and qualified as an individual coming in at 25:59, just one second behind the winner. The Geneseo men’s team narrowly missed qualifying for the national meet, as only the top three men’s teams advanced, after finishing just four points behind third-place Ithaca. Junior Jon Beck (Fairport/Fairport) did qualify for Geneseo as an individual finishing third in 26:09. Oswego’s Jeff Beck (Fairport/Fairport) finished 11th and qualified with a time of 26:32.

The men’s race will begin at 11:00 a.m. Central time with the women’s race to follow at noon.

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