2008 Elizabethtown College
Men's Cross Country Preview

Coach Christopher Straub enters his 11th season at the helm of one of Elizabethtown College’s all-time winningest sports teams. The men of the ECXC team enter the 2008 season with much to prove. After winning eight consecutive Middle-Atlantic Conference titles from 1999-2006, the Blue Jays finished a disappointing 3rd place at the 2007 MAC Cross Country Championships. They went on to finish 13th out of 42 teams at the 2007 Mideast Regional Championships and failed to advance anyone to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time since 1998. It was the first time the Blue Jays have finished outside the top six teams at the Mideast Regional Championships since 1998.

Yet the Blue Jays appeared to have turned a corner by May, 2008. At the 2008 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Etown made a statement scoring big points in the distance events. On Thursday night to open the championships, Etown swept the top three places in the 10,000 meters and scored 28 out of a possible 39 points for the event.

On Saturday, Etown’s 5000 meter men slammed the door on anyone else’s ambition of a team title scoring 92% of the available points (36 out of 39 points). This outstanding team effort secured the men’s track & field team’s third outdoor MAC title in school history (2004, 2007, and 2008).

En route to their marked improvements throughout the winter and spring of 2008, the Blue Jays posted some solid times on the track. Among those posting top times was senior Dylan Rulander (Russell, PA/Eisenhower). Rulander moved up to 4th on the all-time 800 meters list with his 1:52.70 run at Princeton’s Larry Ellis Invitational. Rulander would go on to win the 1500 meters, finish 2nd in the 800, and run a leg on the winning 4X400 relay team at the 2008 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Sophomore Chris Heisey (Middletown, PA/Middletown) came on strong at the end of his first-year campaign finishing second in both the 5000 and 10,000 at the conference championships. These two front-runners are backed up by other point scorers at the 2008 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in senior Jeremy Matula (Bath, PA/Northampton) (3rd in the 10,000 and 7th in the 5000), sophomore Rich Greco (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) (5th in the 10,000), and junior Myles Lund (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga) (5th in the 3000 steeplechase and 6th in the 5000).

According to Straub, “These four guys (Heisey, Matula, Greco, and Lund) took their fitness to a new level last spring. All four ran 15:31-15:40 for 5000m last spring and are making nice progress. Add to this group senior Scott Derkacz (who was the #1 finisher for the Blue Jays at the 2007 Mideast Regional Championships in 53rd place) and we have a solid foundation of six guys heading into a new season. I’m pleased with the progress of our returning runners since last fall. This is a dedicated and motivated group. Heisey, Lund, and Rulander all spent their summer in Flagstaff, Arizona training at altitude. They are backing up their goal of being nationally relevant again with purposeful action."

The much improved upperclassmen are joined by what Straub contends is his most talented freshmen class in school history. Highlighting this year’s first-year class are Eric Reichert (Hershey, PA/Hershey) (4:25 in 1600, 9:28 in 3200) and Evan DeArmitt (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) (4:28 in 1600, 9:35 in 3200) along with Maryland recruits Russell Speiden (Brookeville, MD/Sherwood) (4:25 in 1600, 10:12 in 3200) and Charlie Larsen (Phoenix, MD/Dulaney) (4:36 in 1600, 9:50 in 3200).

Stated Straub, “How these four and the other freshmen adjust from the five kilometer high school distance to the eight kilometer distance run in college is to be determined. If we hope to get back to nationals, it may very well depend on how well our freshmen adapt to the new distance and our ability to peak at the right time. It’s an exciting time. We are going to see a merge between a much improved group of upperclassmen with the youth and talent of an impressive recruiting class. I believe we have the personnel to, once again, become part of the national championship discussion. A maximum of five teams can advance out of any one region. We’re hoping to be in position to challenge for one of those top five spots come November 15th when we compete at the Mideast Regional Championships.”