LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College men's cross country team has been selected to finish sixth in the quest for the Centennial Conference (CC) title according to a poll of the CC head coaches.

Overall, Haverford was selected as the favorite to win the CC title in 2005 as the Fords received eight out of a possible nine first-place votes (teams not permitted to vote for themselves) for 64 points.

Historically, Haverford has won all 12 Centennial crowns since the inception of the Conference in 1993.

Dickinson and Muhlenberg earned the second and third spots with 54 and 51 points, respectively, while the Red Devils also received one first place vote. Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins followed in fourth and fifth place with 38 and 37 points, respectively, while Franklin & Marshall (31), Gettysburg (25), Ursinus (13) and McDaniel (12) rounded out the poll.

Leading the way for the Diplomats will be sophomore Harrison Miller (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill) who returns after being named the 2004 Franklin & Marshall College Men’s Cross Country Freshman of the Year.

A member of the September 8 Centennial Conference Honor Roll, he crossed the finish line in 29:00.6 to finish fourth at the Delaware Valley Invitational in his first intercollegiate cross country race to lead the Franklin & Marshall College to the invitational title.

The title marked the team's first since September 21, 1995 when the Diplomats won the Davis & Elkins Invitational.

He followed the race up with a 10th place finish at the McDaniel College Invitational (28:24) and a 14th place mark at the Little Three Championship (16:37.38) hosted by Franklin & Marshall.

At the Centennial Conference Championship hosted by McDaniel College, Miller placed 58th (29:22) to lead the Diplomats to an eight place finish before finishing 101st in 28:19 to lead F&M to 23rd place at the NCAA Mid-East Region Championship hosted by Allegheny College.

The team’s regional performance marked a four-place improvement over the squad’s 2003 finish of 27th.

Franklin & Marshall will open the season on September 2 at the Salisbury University Invitational.

2005 Centennial Conference Men's Cross Country Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Haverford (8) 64
2. Dickinson (1) 54
3. Muhlenberg 51
4. Swarthmore 38
5. Johns Hopkins 37
6 Franklin & Marshall 31
7. Gettysburg 25
8. Ursinus 13
9. McDaniel 12
Head coaches polled