In the eyes of Chris Fox, the 2011 cross country season was a successful one for his Syracuse teams.

Going into the final meet of the season at the NCAA championships, the SU head coach said the Orange fulfilled about 50 percent of his expectations for the season. But its performance at nationals would serve as the ultimate measure of success for the season, and Fox wanted to see the men’s and women’s teams both finish in the top 10.

‘Nationals is the biggest meet of the season, and it’s what we work towards all year,’ Fox said.

The Syracuse harriers finished their season with a 15th place men’s finish and a 17th place women’s finish at the NCAA championships, narrowly missing out on their goal to make it to the top 10. Still, both the runners and coaches were pleased with the outcome and the season overall. The solid showing at nationals coupled with two fourth-place finishes in the Big East and two Northeast Regional titles gave SU plenty of reason to be happy looking back on this year.

Especially considering the men’s team wasn’t running up to par at the start of the season. But Fox said his runners peaked at just the right time.

The women’s team, on the other hand, performed exceptionally from the start and continued to build momentum as the season progressed.

The high point came Nov. 12 in Buffalo when the Orange took home the regional titles at the men’s and women’s meets after neither team was projected to win.

‘Winning regionals on both sides was a really exciting day for the program,’ junior Sarah Pagano said. ‘It gave us the confidence we needed going into nationals.’

Fox was also honored as the Northeast Region Coach of the Year, capping off SU’s clean regional sweep.

Strong individual performances also boosted the team’s overall success. Seniors Lauren Penney and Pat Dupont were two runners that consistently led their teammates and acted as role models, placing first on the team in every race they participated in.

Penney’s best performance came in the final race of her career. She finished 29th overall with a time of 20:18 at nationals, and Dupont also ran his best race there, placing 37th overall.

Penney and Dupont both earned All-Big East, All-Region and All-American honors for the 2011 season. Dupont is the first Orange harrier to be selected as an All-American in consecutive seasons since Roy Osterhaut in 1952 and 1953. Penney left a legacy at SU by becoming the first female cross country runner in program history to earn All-American honors.

‘Lauren Penney and Pat Dupont set great examples because they work hard, they’re quiet and they’re the best runners on the team,’ Fox said. ‘They’re just really low maintenance people that perform well.’

With Penney and Dupont both graduating, the team will look to Pagano and Forrest Misenti to lead the way next year.

It is hoped Pagano’s determined, laid-back attitude will lead the team to another outstanding season and potentially a podium finish next season.

‘I always try to stay positive, keep everyone relaxed and stay focused,’ Pagano said.

With the Orange losing its best runners next season, younger runners like freshman Shaylyn Tuite will have to step up and continue to progress.

Tuite said that she watched SU improve throughout the season and hopes that within the next two years the women will achieve every team’s dream — a podium finish at the NCAA championships.

Combining motivated and talented runners like Tuite and experienced runners like Pagano and Misenti should set up the team for another successful season in 2012.

‘The team has a lot of depth, and that’s always a good thing,’ said Rebekah MacKay, who completed her fifth and final season. ‘We’re good now, but they’re going to be great in the next couple of years.’

acptachi@syr.edu

 

Published on November 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm