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2000 Delaware Men's Cross Country Outlook
Quick
Facts Athletics Staff Sports Information Men's Cross Country
Information:
2000 University of Delaware Men's Cross Country Outlook
Led by one of the top runners in the East in senior Mike DiGennaro, the 2000 University of Delaware men's cross country squad may have just what it takes to battle for the team's first America East conference title this fall. Head coach Jim Fischer enters his 19th season at the helm of the Blue Hens and as always, his squad should be among the top teams in the conference. Fischer-led teams have never placed lower than fifth at a conference meet, but a Delaware team has not won a league title since the 1962 squad won the Middle Atlantic Conference crown. Led by DiGennaro and a talented group of young runners, that could change this season. "We should definitely be a contender, " said Fischer, whose 1999 squad placed fourth at the America East meet. "We still have a lot of development before that can happen, but we feel good about this team. Our distance runners enjoyed an outstanding spring (leading the UD outdoor track and field team to the league title) which is very promising. We should be good, but Maine, New Hampshire, and Boston University, and Northeastern are also very strong teams." All talk about the Blue Hen must start with DiGennaro, a fifth-year senior who led the Hens in all six meets he competed in a year ago, including a seventh place finish at the America East championships. He also won the Delaware Invitational Oct. 9 and was second at the season-opening Hartford Invitational. During the 1999-2000 track season, he captured America East indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs and earned All-East honors in the indoor 3,000 meters with a seventh place finish. During the spring, he won the America East steeplechase event and was All-East with a third place finish in the event at the IC4A meet. "Mike is definitely one of the top distance runners in the East and we are looking forward to him continuing in cross country, " said Fischer, whose squad will host the America East championships Oct. 28 at White Clay Creek State Park. "He is certainly one of the top runners we have ever had here at Delaware and should be in strong contention to qualify for the NCAA championships." In addition to DiGennaro, other top Blue Hen hopefuls are senior co-captain Robb Munro (35th at America East; 2000 America East steeplechase runner-up) a group of talented sophomores in Pat Boettcher (23rd at AE), Matt Swierzbinski (36th at AE), and juniors Anthony Palmer (19th at AE) and Peter Kelly (33rd at AE). Among the top newcomers are redshirt freshman Pat Riley, sophmore Mike Sadowsky, and true freshmen Brian Cook and Greg Brehm.
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