CROSS COUNTRY: 2022 GNAC Championships Preview
The Colby-Sawyer women and Norwich men have been chosen atop the 2022 GNAC coaches' pre-championship polls, as Saint Joseph's of Maine hosts on Saturday beginning at 11AM.
October 27, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Colby-Sawyer swept
2021 GNAC meet in Boston
2021 GNAC meet in Boston
WINTHROP, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College of Maine is set to host the 2022 GNAC Cross Country Championships this Saturday, October 29, with the women's 6K going off at 11AM prior to the men's 8K at 12:15PM in Standish, Maine.
Last fall after missing the 2020 conference event due to COVID-19, head coach Ryan O'Connell and Colby-Sawyer College swept the 2021 GNAC Championships at Franklin Park in Boston. It marked the second straight team title for the Chargers women and the third consecutive crown for the men's program.
In this year's coaches' poll, the Chargers women ranked first with eight of a possible 11 first-place votes, while the CSC men finished second to only Norwich University. The CSC women are paced by senior Shannon O'Connell, while the Colby-Sawyer men get a boost from last year's GNAC meet winner Dylan Flewelling, who also named the GNAC Runner and Rookie of the Year.
Prior to the CSC men's three-year championship streak, the Norwich men had three-peated from 2015-17 as the Cadets look to regain GNAC glory in Maine. This fall, Colby Makin and rookie Judson Nash have been stellar and consistent runners for Norwich as we head into Saturday's meet.
In the women's poll, Regis College finished second overall in rankings, as the Pride hope to be led by standout grad student Ashleigh Kelley, who has been named GNAC Women's Runner of the Week on five ocassions this fall.
2022 GNAC Man of the Year and SJC grad student Troy Hendricks will compete in his final GNAC Championship on his home campus on Saturday, as he has twice been named GNAC Runner of the Week for the Monks, who garnered two first-place votes and 88 points to finish third in the men's poll.
2022 GNAC Women's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll
1. Colby-Sawyer (8) - 118
2. Regis - 103
3. Norwich (3) - 93
4. Emmanuel - 89
5. Simmons - 67
6. Lasell - 56
7. Dean - 46
8. Saint Joseph's Maine - 43
9. Saint Joseph CT - 40
10. Rivier - 33
11. Elms - 33
1. Norwich (4) - 93
2. Colby-Sawyer (4) - 89
3. Saint Joseph's Maine (2) - 88
4. Regis - 68
5. Saint Joseph CT - 56
6. Emmanuel - 51
7. Dean - 37
8. Lasell - 28
9. Rivier - 22
10. Elms - 18
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
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