ECC Coaches Predict a Repeat for Roberts Wesleyan Men's and Women's Cross Country

EAST COAST CONFERENCE For Immediate Release Media Relations Tuesday, August 25, 2015 Twitter: @ECCSports Casey Rafferty Facebook: /eccsports [email protected] www.eccsports.org YouTube: /EastCoastConference Instagram: @ECCSports ECC Coaches Predict a Repeat for Roberts Wesleyan Men's and Women's Cross Country Central Islip, N.Y. – In a preseason vote by the conferenceʹs coaches, the Roberts Wesleyan menʹs and womenʹs cross country teams have been selected as favorites to repeat as East Coast Conference Champions in 2015. A pair of student‐ athletes from LIU Post, junior Mike Scott (Fultonville, N.Y.) and sophomore Talya Williams (Schenectady, N.Y.), were named the ECC Preseason Runner of the Year for their respective gender. Last season was a historic one for both Roberts Wesleyan teams. Both won their first‐ever ECC Championship and then became the first teams from the ECC to ever advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship meet. The womenʹs team was the more successful of the two, winning the East Region and finishing ninth at the National Championship race. Both teams from Roberts Wesleyan have plenty of talented runners returning for a chance to repeat. The menʹs side has five runners who finished in the top‐13 at the ECC Championship back in the fold. Despite losing All‐American, Rachel Prutsman, the womenʹs side has four top‐25 finishers from last yearʹs ECC Championship on this yearʹs roster. In the menʹs poll, Roberts Wesleyan received seven first place votes to take the top spot with 74 points. The runner‐up in the poll was LIU Post, who received two first place votes and 68 points. The Pioneers had a streak of five straight ECC titles snapped by Roberts Wesleyan a year ago. Molloy rounds out the top three with 58 points. On the women’s side, Roberts Wesleyan was nearly a unanimous selection, earning nine of 10 first place votes. Coming in second place with 85 points and the final first place vote is LIU Post. St. Thomas Aquinas comes in at No. 3 with 73 points. Scott was an ECC All‐Conference First Team member in 2014 after finishing second at the ECC Championship meet. He also advanced to the NCAA National Championship race by finishing in sixth at the East Region Championship. Williams had an amazing debut season in LIU Post green and gold, winning the ECC Championship race with a time of 18:23.7 to earn both the ECC Runner and Rookie of the Year honors. The five‐time ECC weekly honoree also qualified for the NCAA National Championship race by crossing the finish line in second place at the East Region Championship. 2015 ECC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll 2015 ECC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Poll School Pts. School Pts. 1. Roberts Wesleyan (7) 74 1. Roberts Wesleyan (9) 93 2. LIU Post (2) 68 2. LIU Post (1) 85 3. Molloy 58 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 73 4. St. Thomas Aquinas 45 4. Molloy 61 5. Queens 41 5. Daemen 51 6. Dowling 35 6. NYIT 45 7. NYIT 33 7. Dowling 44 8. Daemen 31 8. Queens 40 9. Bridgeport 20 9. District of Columbia 37 10. Bridgeport 21 ( ) –first place votes 300 Carleton Ave. ● NYIT SAC210 ● Central Islip, NY 11722 ● (p) 631-348-3452 ● (f) 631-348-3015 *********************************** About the ECC Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student‐athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Conn.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); Daemen College (Amherst, N.Y.); Dowling College (Oakdale, N.Y.); LIU Post (Brookville, N.Y.); Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy College (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan College (Rochester, N.Y.) and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). Associate Members include: Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, Pa.), Cheyney University (Cheyney, Pa.), Dominican College (Orangeburg, N.Y.), Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, N.H.), Georgian Court University (Lakewood, N.J.) and Kutztown University (Kutztown, Pa.). The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; men’s and women’s cross country; men’s and women’s lacrosse; softball; men’s and women’s tennis; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; and women’s volleyball. The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student‐athlete. ### ECCSports.org ### 300 Carleton Ave. ● NYIT SAC210 ● Central Islip, NY 11722 ● (p) 631-348-3452 ● (f) 631-348-3015 .

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