2012 Track & Field Preview
2012 Women's Track & Field
Head coach Dave Prevosti (Roberts Weslayan '96) enters his eighth season with the Knights looking to build on a promising 2011 campaign in which his team finished second at the SUNYAC indoor and third at the SUNYAC outdoor championships. If the Knights are to capture their first conference championship since 2010, much of their success will be attributed to the health of their returners as well as the maturation of some young first year talent.
Over the past couple seasons, a consistent strength for Geneseo has been its distance runners, including junior Marissa Liberati (Manchester/Red Jacket). In 2011, Liberati earned All-America honors as well as first team All-SUNYAC honors. Liberati, however, missed all of the 2011 cross country season due to injury and will look to get back to competition during the upcoming outdoor and indoor seasons.
Senior Ashley Jones (Hilton) and juniors Danae Polsin (Baldwinsville/Baker), Brigid Heenan (Liverpool/Liverpool) and Emily Sullivan (West Seneca/West Seneca West) all notched breakout cross country seasons in 2011 and will look to translate that success onto the track. Polsin and Jones finished fourth and sixth at cross-country SUNYACs, respectively, while Sullivan turned in an impressive outing at the Penn State Invitational on Sept. 17, finishing 18th overall. Heenan finished fifth in the 5,000 meters and led the Knights finishing fourth in the 10,000 meters at last year's outdoor SUNYAC championships.
After a lights out first year campaign in mid-distance competition, sophomore Mary Aldridge (Rochester/Brighton) will look to continue her success, especially in the 800 meters. In 2001, Aldridge, Liberati, and senior Kelly Brunscheen (Sherrill/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) set a school record in the DMR, while junior Cailin Koweleski (Fredonia) earned second-team All-SUNYAC honors for her performance in the 1,500 meters.
Junior Diahann Cuevo (Mohegan/Yorktown) and senior Julie Cook (New Paltz) are both expected to contribute in their respective events, Cuevo a sprint captain and Cook a high jumper. Junior Rachel Serpe (Rochester/Irondequoit) set a school record in the pole vault (3.25 meters) last season and is set to continue to compete at the top of the conference.
Geneseo is also rich in first year talent with distance runners, Cassie Goodman (Phelps/Midlakes) and Alyssa Knott (Smithtown/Smithtown West), hurdler Molly McGaley (Bayblon/St. John the Baptist) and sprinter Kristen Gottstine (Tillson/Kingston) already beginning to turn heads. First year Keira Wood (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem North) is also a person to keep in mind as possibly being a major contributor in the mid-distance events this season.
The Knights begin their indoor season on Dec. 4 as they travel to Cornell University for the Cornell Relays and will host the Geneseo Invitational on Saturday April 21.
2012 Men's Track & Field
Head coach Dave Prevosti (Roberts Weslayan '96) enters his eighth season with the Knights, fresh off his third consecutive SUNYAC outdoor championship. In 2011, Geneseo finished second at the SUNYAC indoor championships. The potential for success is high this season with a number of very durable and talented returners as well a few impact first years in the fold. With a high volume of seniors, coach Prevosti recognizes that a lot is at stake this season but that his team has all the tools needed to be very successful.
The most intriguing storyline this year remains senior Lee Berube (Putnam Station/Ticonderoga), who will look to compete for individual conference, regional, and national distance titles. Berube is coming off a cross country season in which he earned All-America honors after a second place finish at the nationals, along with individual SUNYAC and regional titles. In 2011, Berube finished seventh at the national meet in the 5,000 meters. Seniors Mark Streb (Brockport) and Eddie Novara (Angola/Lake Shore) had solid cross country seasons and will look to be major contributors in distance competition. Novara was quietly Geneseo's top scorer in indoor last season and earned second team All-SUNYAC after placing second in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.
Senior Chris Carter (Grand Island), who also impressed during cross country, will look to pace the Knights in mid-distance competition. Carter set a school record in the 800 and finished ninth at NCAAs in the DMR along with Streb and senior Kevin Bronson (Constableville/South Lewis). Prevosti expects junior Alex Brimstein (Webster/Thomas) to have a breakout season.
Seniors Jesse Cleary-Krell (Syracuse/Westhill) and Matt Hart (Pittsford/Mendon) will lead a talented sprint team, which set a new school record in the 4X200 a year ago. Junior Ian Besso (Sayville/Sayville), who finished top 15 in the 100 and 200 meters at outdoor SUNYACs a year ago, will look to bring even more pop to the sprint team this year.
In the field events, senior Greg Izzo (Cohoes) will lead Geneseo in the hurdles after placing second in the 400 meters at SUNYACs last season, while senior Nwana Okafor (Rochester/Irondequoit) will look to compete at nationals for the second straight season in the long jump. Okafor placed eighth at the national competition a year ago with a distance of 6.97 meters and earned All-SUNYAC honors. Geneseo will also look for big things from senior Wenley Lewis (Rochester/Irondequoit), who will compete for a national title in the long jump after finishing second at the nationals in 2010. Juniors Nick D'Amuro (Lewiston/Lewiston-Porter), Nicholas Hoffman (Williamsville/Williamsville South) and Brendan Murphy (Katonah/Iona Prep) will compete as throwers for the Knights. Murphy finished third in the hammer throw at SUNYACs a year ago. Senior Colin Keenan (Rochester/ Aquinas) will also play a major role for the Knights after setting a new school mark in the pentathlon (3,025) and placing second in the high jump (1.93 meters) in 2011.
After a very successful cross-country season Cole DeClerck (Webster/Thomas), Tim Mateer (Webster/Thomas) and Ryan Moynihan (Geneseo) lead a talented group of first year distance runners. Moynihan, who finished 17th overall at SUNYACs, is a star in the making, according to Prevosti. University of Maryland transfer Ryan DeVito, a very talented jumper and sprinter, Matt Denk, a Section V champion in the 600 meters, and Phil Longo (Dansville), a Section V champion in the long jump, will also look to contribute as first years.
The Knights begin their indoor season on Dec. 4 as they travel to Cornell University for the Cornell Relays and will host the Geneseo Invitational on Saturday April 21.