BEREA, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University men's cross country team, led by Coordinator of Cross Country and Track and Field and Head Cross Country Coach Joe Eby, will aim to race their way to the pinnacle of the Ohio Athletic Conference in 2019.
Eby, in his fifth season as head coach, returns six letterwinners and one All-OAC runner from last season's squad, that placed fifth at the 2018 OAC Championships, and ninth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships.
"I think we're talented and we can place as high or higher than we did last year at conference and regionals," Eby began. "If we're able to do that, it will be a very successful season for us. I'm really excited about the incoming class that we have." Despite graduating two seniors from last year's team, Eby remains optimistic about those who will fill in for them. "We've got some young talented incomers, and some young talented returners. So, we'll see how they fit in, how they develop and how they'll handle taking on some different leadership roles, even as younger guys. I'm hoping that they can continue to build off our culture that we have here. It will be interesting to see. There are a lot of unknowns but I think that we've got a group that can rise to the occasion and exceed expectations."
Senior All-OAC second team selection and team Most Valuable Player Award recipient Isaac Wilson (Tylersburg, Pa./North Clarion) will spearhead this year's crop of runners. He placed 17th at the OAC Championships last fall and ran to an All-Ohio finish (top 35) at the All-Ohio Division III Championships for the second consecutive season.
Wilson will be followed closely behind by returning juniors Jose Reynoso (Painesville/Harvey), Spencer Roberts (West Seneca, N.Y./West) and Larry Salerno (Mentor), as well as sophomores Joe Juda (Strongsville), John Komarony-Hiller (Edgewood, Ky./Villa Madonna Academy), and David Prather (Hardin, Mont.).
The Yellow Jackets will also welcome six newcomers this fall, as freshmen Nick Dascani (Toledo/Springfield), Hunter Evans (Milford/Archbishop McNicholas), Zack Justus (Maineville/Kings), Garry Murray (Creston/Norwayne), Lucas Simonetti (Pittsford, N.Y./Sutherland), and Kyle White (Mount Gilead) eagerly await their collegiate running debuts.
BW opens the 2019 season on Friday, August 30, where they will travel to Wooster to compete in the annual College of Wooster Invitational on the L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course at 6:00 pm. Cedarville University will host the All-Ohio Championships on Saturday, September 28, while crosstown rival John Carroll University hosts the OAC Championships on Saturday, November 2.
