Men's Cross Country | 11/10/2016 8:11:00 AM
ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's cross country team will send a talented group of runners to compete at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Atlantic Region Championship, which will be hosted by Rowan University and take place at noon on Saturday, Nov. 11 on the West Campus in Sewell, NJ.
The top two team finishers in the 8,000-meter race qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday, Nov. 19 at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, KY. Sixteen other at-large bids will be awarded from the nation's eight total regions. The top seven individual finishers from each region not on one of the team qualifiers will earn an invitation to the national championships.
Seven runners will compete for the Tigers on Saturday. RIT is coming off a fourth place finish in the Liberty League Championship on Oct. 29. The Tigers also recorded a strong third place finish at the Mike Woods Invitational on Oct. 1 and were second at the St. John Fisher Early Season Invitational on Sept. 2.
The duo of senior
Jon Pelzar (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) and junior
James Bailey (Danvers, MA/Danvers) will be counted on to lead the way for RIT. Pelzar was an All-Liberty League first team selection, while Bailey garnered second team accolades. Pelzar, who finished sixth at the Liberty League Championship, has a top 8,000-meter time of 25:35 this season, set at the Mike Woods Invitational. Bailey, who was eighth at the Liberty League Championship, has a season-best time of 25:46.5 over 8,000-meters from the Yellowjacket Invitational.
Andrew Chabot (Campton, NH/Plymouth Regional) has a season-best time of 26:54.1, while
Evan Feigel (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) made his season debut at the Liberty League Championship two weekends ago.
Jay Humphreys (Sherman, CT/New Milford) had a top time of 26:51.6 and along with
John Mooney (Norwich, NY/Norwich) has provided depth for RIT all season.
Senior
Seth Baker (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) has appeared in five races this season, having finished 13th at the season-opening Cardinal Early Season Invite. Classmate
Grant Salk (Livermore, CA/Granada) had a top time of 26:38.6 and was 29th at the Liberty League Championship.
RIT competed at the Pre-Regional Meet at Rowan on Oct. 15, finishing 18th out of 43 teams. Bailey finished 12th overall out of 382 runners.
Runners competing for the Tigers:
James Bailey (Danvers, MA/Danvers)
Seth Baker (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport)
Andrew Chabot (Campton, NH/Plymouth Regional)
Evan Feigel (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon)
Jay Humphreys (Sherman, CT/New Milford)
John Mooney (Norwich, NY/Norwich)
Jon Pelzar (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow)
Grant Salk (Livermore, CA/Granada)
