October 29, 2005

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College cross country team competed in the inaugural Cross Country Only Championships (CCOC) this afternoon at the Seneca Lake State Park. The Statesmen, who have been bitten by the injury bug, did not field a complete five-runner team.

In the 8-kilometer race, Clarkson University won both the team and individual titles. Daemen College finished second followed by SUNY Institute of Technology. Potsdam and St. John Fisher also entered runners, but did not field complete teams.

Clarkson senior Sam Morse (Camden/Camden, N.Y.) won the race, posting a time of 26:26.

Sophomore Joe Bochynski (Amherst/Amherst, N.Y.) led Hobart across the finish line, placing 19th in a season’s best time of 30:08. First-year Bill Jordan (Grand River Academy/Akron, Ohio) was the next Statesman across the line, taking 24th in a time of 31:53.

The CCOC is the brainchild of William Smith Cross Country Head Coach Jack Warner. The Herons extended invitations to compete in the inaugural event to every college in New York State that sponsors cross country, but not track and field.

The purpose of the event is to provide those programs a chance to measure themselves against similar programs, instead of competing against student-athletes that are coached all year long from cross country to indoor track to outdoor track.

Warner hopes the 2006 CCOC field will include more teams as word of the championship spreads.