GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – The two-time defending North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Men’s Cross Country champion SUNY Polytechnic Institute Wildcats came out on top of the coaches’ preseason poll rankings after winning an extremely close race. 

The Wildcats tallied the most first-place votes of any team with seven but placed first overall by just one point, as they collected 108 points to squeak past the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers and their 107 points.  

SUNY Poly has three 2014 All-Conference selections back in the fold this season with the return of Greg Bogdan (Broadalbin, N.Y.), Joseph Acey (Forestport, N.Y.) and Oliver Crain (Syracuse, N.Y.).  Bogdan was also tabbed as the 2014 NEAC Rookie of the Year after being the first rookie runner to cross the finish line while placing fourth overall at the conference championship race. 

Wildcat head coach Bill Tylutki, the two-time reigning NEAC Coach of the Year, has also brought in many new faces for his title defense this season.  His squad will begin their season on Saturday, September 5 when they host the SUNY Polytechnic Short Course Invitational.   

The Fighting Tigers received 10 votes within the top three, including three first-place selections.  Cobleskill has three returning runners that made All-Conference last season, including Anthony Bouchard (Wantagh, N.Y.), Dan Fields (Lebanon, Conn.) and Zach Jacobson (Berkshire, N.Y.).  Cobleskill will look to remain in the hunt for the NEAC title after being the runner up at the past two conference championships. 

Penn State Abington placed third in the overall rankings with 101 total points.  The Nittany Lions will once again be led by senior Alex Kane (Doylestown, Pa.), who captured his second career NEAC Runner of the Year award after winning the individual title at last year’s conference championship race to cap off a remarkable season in which we received six NEAC Runner of the Week awards. He will also be joined by fellow 2014 All-Conference selection Nelson Costa (Philadelphia, Pa.).

The full men’s cross country rankings can be found below:

The 2015-16 NEAC Men’s Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Cazenovia College at Jamesville Beach Park on Saturday, October 31, where all 12 teams will compete for a shot at the conference title.  Be sure to also follow the results from the regular season by using the free NEAC mobile app, Front Row, which can be downloaded here. 

The preseason poll rankings were conducted by the NEAC men’s cross country coaches, with each coach ranking out all teams but their own using a staggered points system (12 points for a first-place vote, 11 points for second, etc.).  No self-voting was allowed.  This is the first year the NEAC has held preseason polls and they will now become a staple of all 18 conference-sponsored sports moving forward.

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The North Eastern Athletic Conference has fourteen NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cazenovia College, College of St. Elizabeth, Gallaudet University, Keuka College, Lancaster Bible College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania State University - Abington, Pennsylvania State University - Berks, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville State College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Wells College, and Wilson College.  Associate members are: Cedar Crest College (W Swimming), D’Youville College (M Volleyball), Hilbert College (M Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Medaille College (M&W Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Penn State Altoona (M Volleyball) and Rutgers University - Camden (M Golf).  The North Eastern Athletic Conference has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference in the sports of men’s and women’s tennis.