Fitchburg State Men’s Cross Country Ready For Action

The Fitchburg State men’s cross country team is ready to embark on yet another successful campaign as the Falcons, once again, were ranked among the top three teams in the MASCAC as voted by the coaches in the 2012 Pre-Season Poll. With athletes approaching an all-time high over the last five years, the Fitchburg State men’s squad has the tools and depth to make some noise within the conference.

“Numbers are good,” said 34-year head coach, Jim Jellison. “This year, we return 12 strong veterans and add 14 new runners to the team, giving us great depth to get through any injuries that may occur this season.”

Throughout the pre-season, Fitchburg State focused on four key areas: conditioning, bonding, distance and pool training. With concentration in these areas, the Falcons look to accomplish their season long goals of being healthy and progressing each and everyday.

“This year we have set some lofty goals for ourselves,” said Jellison. “We look to compete among the top three within the conference, but we are also looking to improve each day, leading up to the MASCAC Championships.”

Leading the Falcons this season will be its top seven from a year ago, minus All-Conference runner Chris Kibler. Will Lary (Winchendon, Mass./Murdock) looks to take over the number one spot for Fitchburg State, but will rely on his other running mates to keep the pack together and produce a strong, team performance. According to Coach Jellison, “Will has the potential to be an NCAA Division III Regional Qualifier in addition to a MASCAC All-Conference honoree.”

Joining Lary in the Falcons wolf pack are returners Eric Ouellette (Ashburnham, Mass./Oakmont), Brandon Davis (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg), Mike Grasela (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) and Jim Quinlan (North Andover, Mass./North Andover). Veterans Larry Teague (Tyngsboro, Mass./Greater Lowell) and Dan Drescher (Saugus, Mass./Northeast) both have the opportunity to crack the top 7, while all 14 freshman continue to battle throughout the preseason.

The 2012 schedule proves to be very tough for the Fitchburg State men’s team this season but with its added numbers on the roster, injuries should not be a factor.

“The schedule is very competitive this season,” said Jellison. “We will see a lot of MASCAC and LEC schools early on at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, giving us plenty of time to train for the Championships.”

The Falcons open up their slate on September 1st as they travel to Keene State College before returning home to host their annual Jim Sheehan Memorial on Friday, September 7th. Fitchburg State then squares off at Westfield State and Williams College before gearing up for the Alliance/MASCAC Championships on October 27th.