Men's Cross Country Predicted Seventh And Women's XC Projected Eighth In Preseason ECC Coaches' Poll

Central Islip, N.Y. – After winning ECC Championships in 2014 and 2015, the Roberts Wesleyan men's and women's cross country teams begin 2016 as the favorites to claim East Coast Conference titles once again.  Seniors Aaron Bellomo (Hudson, N.H.) of Roberts Wesleyan and Sarah Jerotich (Kapsabet, Kenya) of NYIT were named the ECC Preseason Runner of the Year for their respective gender.

In a polling of the league's head coaches, Roberts Wesleyan led the way in both the men's and women's preseason rankings as nearly unanimous selections. Both Redhawks squads have numerous runners returning for a chance at the three-peat. The men's side has four runners who finished in the top-18 and the women have six of the top-19 finishers at the ECC Championship back in the fold. The women's team also returns All-Conference and All-Region honorees, Elizabeth Valento and April Sablan, who helped the Roberts women earn their second straight trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship Meet.

In the men's poll, Roberts Wesleyan received seven of eight first place votes to take the top spot with 63 points. The next spots in the poll were tightly contested, with three teams separated by only three points. Molloy was the runner-up in the poll with 46 points, while St. Thomas Aquinas was No. 3 with 44 points and LIU Post was No. 4 with 43 points. St. Thomas Aquinas also earned the final first place vote.

On the women's side, Roberts Wesleyan earned eight of nine first place votes for 70 points. Coming in second place with 55 points was St. Thomas Aquinas, who also earned their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championship meet a year ago. Daemen rounds out the top three with 51 points. NYIT earned the last first place vote in the women's poll.

Bellomo was an ECC All-Conference First Team member in 2015 after finishing fourth at the ECC Championship meet. It was the second All-Conference selection of Bellomo's career, after earning Second Team honors in 2014.

Jerotich had a remarkable first year at NYIT in 2015. She finished in the top three in five different events during the season before crossing the finish line first at the ECC Championship in a time of 17:37.5 to earn the ECC Runner of the Year award and All-Conference First Team honors. Jerotich also came in second at the NCAA Division II East Regional meet, earning a spot to compete in the NCAA Division II National Championship meet.

2016 ECC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

2016 ECC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

( ) - first place votes