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Oct. 26, 2006

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Following a N-Star win over Army two weeks ago to wrap up its regular season, the Navy men's cross country team will begin its postseason action at the Patriot League Championship in Hamilton, N.Y., on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

The Midshipmen are in quest of their first Patriot League title since joining the league in 2003. Navy placed second at the 2003 and '04 league championships and finished third last season at Lehigh's Goodman Campus Course.

"Only Army and Navy has this mid-season peak with the annual Star Meet," stated Navy head coach Al Cantello. "Other schools can train harder and gun for us this weekend, but we will still give them fits."

Navy heads into this weekend's race ranked as the sixth-best team in the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region poll, tying its highest ranking of the year. Navy was ranked as high as sixth in the first regional poll released on Sept. 25.

This Saturday's visit to Colgate's Harry Lang Course will be the first in Navy's 84-year program history.

Navy has raced against Patriot League foes American, Army and Colgate during the 2006 regular season. The Midshipmen finished immediately behind American, this year's preseason Patriot League favorite, in the Navy Invitational on Sept. 16. Two weeks later at the Notre Dame Invitational, Navy finished 15th, while Army placed 19th and Colgate followed in 20th-place. The Midshipmen and Black Knights met again two weeks later in Annapolis, as the host Mids came away with a 22-33 victory and the N-Star.

In order to come away with its first Patriot League title on Saturday, Navy will look for juniors John Kress (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and John Olsen (Staten Island, N.Y.) to once again lead the way.

Kress recorded his first-career first-place finish against Army two weeks ago with a time of 24:33.22, more than 18 seconds ahead of Army's top runner. The product of Colorado Springs, Colo., also boasted Navy's fastest time in the Navy Invitational and Roy Griak Invitational. On the year, he owns three top-five performances and has recorded one of Navy's two-fastest times in five meets.

Olsen placed third overall, second among Navy runners with his 24:54.11 clocking against the Black Knights in the Star Meet. He has alternated with Kress as Navy's fastest runner at the Fordham Invitational and Notre Dame Invitation, while boasting the team's second-best time in three other meets. He is the lone Navy runner to crack the 25-minute mark twice this season, performing the feat in the Notre Dame Invitational and against Army.

Providing a consistent scoring threat are senior Michael Niemi (Duluth, Minn.) and freshman Chris Horel (Belford, N.J.). Niemi has placed between Navy's third- and fourth-fastest runner in five races, while Horel has scored or served as a displacing scorer in all six meets this year.

The Midshipmen may also turn to junior Lucas Burke (Bakersfield, Calif.) and senior team captain Adam Craig (Commerce, Mich.) to step up this weekend. Burke has scored in each of his last-two meets, highlighted by his fifth-place effort against Army two weeks ago. After a slow start to the season, Craig emerged with the victory-clinching time of 25:17.21 versus the Black Knights to place seventh.

After this weekend's league championship, Navy will head to Lock Haven, Pa., to compete at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship on Saturday, Nov. 11.