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Men's Cross Country Aims for Patriot League Crown
Aug. 27, 2003 Lewisburg, Pa. - Coach Donner understands which teams stand in the way of Bucknell's goals this season, and where the Bison must prove their status among league foes. "The two main meets we aim for are the Patriot League Championships and the Mid-Atlantic Regional. The league will be tough this year, with American, Army and Navy having strong teams," Donner said. "Many of our guys had a great spring, and I look forward to contending for the Patriot League title." After starting what he thought would be his final season last year, Greg Costello earned a medical redshirt following a leg injury and will serve as top runner for the Bison. The senior tri-captain was Bucknell's top finisher in five of the team's seven cross country meets during the 2001 fall season. Costello had a season of accomplishments, while capturing first place during the Gulden Dual meet, and placing seventh at the Patriot League Championship. He also captured seventh place at the Mid-Atlantic Regional and advanced to the NCAA Finals. Before his injury last season, Costello won the Army Invitational and had Bucknell's top time at the Great American Classic. The two other captains will be seniors Nick Mousetis and Kevin Walsh. But Donner says that other athletes will be just as important for the Bison this season. "Wes Reinhardt and Dan Lounsbury are improving tremendously, putting them in our top group. Stephen Schaefer and Doug Creveling are guys we feel can contribute as well." Schaefer was Bucknell's top finisher at the PL Championships outside of meet winner Bryan Johnston, who graduated. Among other meets last year, Schaefer had Bucknell's top time at the Pre-NCAA meet, where he came in 53rd overall. The Bison's next finisher was Mousetis, who had a Bucknell top-ten time in every meet in which he competed last year. In five of those meets, Mousetis finished in Bucknell's top three. His highest finish overall was at the Army Invitational, where he came in third. Right behind Mousetis at the PL Championships was Reinhardt. As did Mousetis, Reinhardt finished in Bucknell's top ten in all of his meets, finishing with the Bison's top time at the Penn State Spiked Shoe event, where he finished 11th overall. Reinhardt was also Bucknell's number two finisher at the Gulden, where he took 10th overall. Jesse Graytock returns as a graduate student for his final season. Graytock took 31st overall at the league finals and was a consistent contributor to the team last season, never having finished lower than eighth among Bucknell runners. Lounsbury, Walsh, and Creveling rounded out Bucknell's group of top-40 finishers at the league finals last season. Lounsbury's best meet came at the Messiah Invitational, where he claimed Bucknell's third-best time and the fourth-best time among all runners. Walsh, one of the three captains this year, also had his best meet at the Messiah event, taking second both overall and on the team. The meet's winner was Sean McCarthy, who returns this season as well. Creveling's best meet was at the Penn State event, where he finished 27th overall and had Bucknell's second-best time.
In all, the Bison return 23 runners and feature 10 freshmen on the squad.
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