Penn College set for cross-country regionals

A week and a half ago, the Pennsylvania College of Technology men won their first United East Conference cross-country crown and the women placed sixth, with five men and two women earning all-conference accolades in the process. On Saturday, things step up a notch at the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Championships.

“The regional meet brings a next level of competition for our men and women. The Mid-Atlantic Region is a quality region with some of the top Division III teams in the country,” coach Tom Leeser said.  

“The course at Lock Haven has a mostly flat, grass surface. Under good conditions, the times are typically fast, so other athletes will be striving for season-best performances,” the coach said.

“Unfortunately, our women will not have a full team at regionals. Our women will be focused on their individual times and places,” Leeser said. “(Senior) Skyelar Splain, of Liverpool, ran at LHU last season and is looking to improve on that finish (189th), while the freshmen Elaina Brady, of Big Cove Tannery, and Natalie Greiner, of Mount Joy, will be gaining experience in a big race.

“The men had an emotional weekend at our conference meet and will need to refocus on a few goals for the regional race. Our seven runners who finished at Cairn will be racing at LHU. The upperclassmen ran the course last year and will have target times or new PRs (personal records) they will be aiming for. For the freshmen, they will need to adjust to racing with some stronger competition. We will discuss a team goal a bit more as the meet approaches. Improving on last season’s 25th place, perhaps a top 20 finish, seems reasonable.

“We’re looking forward to finishing our season on a fast course at Lock Haven.”

Teamwise for the men in other previous regionals, Penn College finished 34th in 2017, 32nd in 2018, 37th in 2019, 27th in 2021.

Wildcat men running will be sophomore Mitchell Campbell, of Riegelsville; sophomore Matt Woolcock, of Oil City; junior Alec Rees, of Centerport, New York; freshman Holden Furey, of Williamsport; freshman Jacob Parker, of Weatherly; sophomore Dillon Betts, of Manchester, New Jersey; and senior Noah Bowers, of Burnham.

At regionals a year ago, Campbell was 70th of 222, Woolcock was 119th, Rees was 164th, Betts was 185th and Bowers was 190th.

In addition to the UE all-conference runners this year, Leeser was honored as the conference’s Coach of the Year in his second season.

“I am honored by the Coach of the Year award, but it is really a reflection of the type of young men that run for us. They have done what they have been asked to do – summer training, long runs and difficult workouts. This group has also grown close and hopefully formed friendships that will last a long time. I am extremely proud of each of them,” Leeser said.

Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 11 – NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Championships, men’s 8K race 11 a.m., women’s 6K race noon (hosted by Susquehanna University at Lock Haven University’s West Branch Cross-Country Course)

For more about the United East, visit the conference website .
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website .

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