The University of Mary Washington and Salisbury University have dominated the Capital Athletic Conference cross country championships for the past 19 seasons, and expect to battle for the top team and individual positions at the 2010 championship races Saturday (11/6) at Winterplace Park in Salisbury, Md.

UMW will defend its men’s team championship in the 8,000-meter chase that begins at 11 a.m.  The Eagles’ 2009 title snapped a string of four-straight Salisbury men’s championships (and six in the previous seven seasons).

The host Sea Gulls will then try to win their third-straight women’s crown, and sixth in seven seasons, when the starter’s gun fires for the 6,000-meter event at noon.

Combined, the Eagles and Gulls have won all 38 CAC cross country crowns since the inception of the conference in 1991.  UMW has 24 CAC cross country championships, including 13 men’s titles and 11 women’s trophies.  Salisbury has 14 crowns, including eight on the men’s side and six women’s championships.

Individually, Salisbury’s Stephen Berstler, Jr., Chris Barnard and Mary Washington’s Scott Plunkett finished third through fifth, respectively, in the 2009 CAC title meet and are the only Top 10 finishers from a year ago returning for the 2010 chase.  

Berstler was the 2009 CAC Rookie of the Year.  Barnard is a three-time CAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week this season while Plunkett captured the CAC weekly award twice this season. 

Other top challengers include Mary Washington junior Chris Marino, St. Mary’s sophomore Nick Pasko and Hood freshman Dan Jacobs – all weekly men’s cross country honorees during the 2010 season.

The women’s chase presents a different returning cast – nine of the Top 10 from 2009 return for this year’s title chase.  Mary Washington’s Sarah Dawes is the defending conference champion, but teammate Liz Green has been the Eagles’ top runner most of the 2010 season and is a three-time CAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week this season.

Salisbury had five of the top 10 finishers in the 2010 championship, including senior Kristin Stromberg, who placed second last year.

Leading the challengers who have won the CAC Women’s Cross Country weekly award this season include junior Anne Patron of first-year CAC member Frostburg State University.  Patron won the CAC award twice in October.  Other award winners include freshman Jessie Daley of Marymount and freshman Shannon Rafferty of St. Mary’s.

Here is a brief glimpse at each team heading into the 2010 championship meet:

FROSTBURG STATE

The men have the depth to compete for a CAC title in FSU’s first year in the league. The Bobcats are coming off a sixth-place team finish at the Battle for the Buggy Invitational. Freshman Patrick Mead has improved steadily over the season and has been the team’s top finisher in each of the last three races, including a 22^nd place finish last weekend. Junior Jesse Henderson and senior Kevin Wright have consistently finished as the second and third place runners on the team.

The women’s team is led this season by junior Anne Patron and senior Jessica O’Neil. Patron has been the top finisher for FSU in all six races and has cracked the top-10 three times this season, including a season-best third place showing at the Elizabethtown race last weekend. She has captured CAC Runner of the Week honors twice in the last month. O’Neil has been a great contributor to the squad this fall and has consistently been the No. 2 runner for the Bobcats. Last week, she finished ninth at the Battle for the Buggy Invitational.

HOOD

The Blazer men are very young with four first-years, two sophomores, and a junior among the top seven. First-year Dan Jacobs and sophomore captain Brett Shelley are legitimate all-CAC contenders. Team performance could vary from third to seventh depending on which team posts.  

Top two Blazer women are first-years who are running well in Alyssa Peterson and Megan Wade. Behind them, some consistency needs to be built if Hood is to move into the top half of conference.

MARYMOUNT

Marymount enters the CAC Championships after a two week layoff … Leading the Saints are junior Mike Dalrymple and sophomore Mark Flores after a pair of solid finishes at the Hood Invitational … Also looking to impress are junior Emmanuel Wansi, sophomore Udit Bhatnagar and freshman Kevin Farmer.

Marymount enters the CAC Championships with a full squad for just the second meet this season and looks to make a splash with its youth-laden roster … Freshman Jessie Daley is coming off her first collegiate win, and first individual victory in program history, after the Saints narrowly missed out on claiming the team win by three points at the Hood Invitational … Dana Mannarino looks to improve on her fifth place finish at Hood to make up for an injury-plagued rookie season while Meryem Noucair, Megan McMinn, Summer Penrose and Rachael Raske will round out the MU line-up.

MARY WASHINGTON

Mary Washington, the reigning CAC Champions, will look for their second straight league title, despite a very different look from last year’s team that graduated four of its top runners. Heading the way for the Eagles, who have been regionally ranked all season, are junior Chris Marino and sophomore Scott Plunkett, each of whom have won CAC Player of the Week awards this fall.

The Eagles will look to recapture the magic that has carried them to the majority of CAC titles since the start of the conference in 1991. Heading the way will be multiple CAC Player of the Week Liz Green, who as a freshman has been UMW’s top finisher in every race. Returning standouts Kristy Witek and Sarah Dawes will look to get UMW back on top in the conference for the first time in three years.

SALISBURY

The Salisbury University men’s and women’s cross country teams will be looking to defend their home course at Capital Athletic Conference championship this season. The teams will run at Winter Place Park, a place they have had success this season, having run two meets there already.

The men will be looking for their ninth CAC championship, having won four straight from 2005 through 2008. The team has been led in 2010 by senior Chris Barnard who has been one of the top finishers in every race Salisbury has competed in this year. Barnard has been named the CAC men’s cross country Athlete of the Week three times this season and five times in his career. Freshman Ryan Jackson has been a great addition to the Sea Gulls this season, placing in the top 20 in all but one race, and was Salisbury’s top finisher in the Sea Gulls’ last meet, the Battle for the Buggy Invitational, where he placed fifth overall.

The women will be in search of their seventh overall and third consecutive CAC title. The Sea Gulls will look to ride the momentum of the Battle for the Buggy championship, which they won by 21 points, into a CAC championship just as they did in 2009. Senior Kristin Stromburg and junior Becca Stinner have been leaders for the Sea Gulls all season, as one of the two runners has been Salisbury’s top finisher in all but one meet this year. But it is the depth of the Sea Gulls that make them a threat to three-peat as CAC champions.

ST. MARY’S

Nick Pasko (4th overall at York Invitational and 13th overall at Goucher Invitational), Matt Bennett and Quint Frauman have consistently placed in the top 3 for the Seahawks.  Last year’s top runner at the CAC championship meet, Dan Swain, has been plagued with injuries and looks to return to form for this year's championship race.

Shannon Rafferty has been a standout first-year runner for the Sehawks with a 5th-place finish at McDaniel Invitational, 4th-place finish at York Invitational and 47th at the Paul Short Invitational.  In addition, the Seahawks are looking for strong contributions from Katie Phipps, Keighly Bradbrook and Kathleen Tatem.

STEVENSON

Stevenson heads to the CAC Cross Country Championships with a host of runners looking for its first team score in the event since joining the CAC prior to the 2007 season. Leading the way is sophomore Patrick Cristaldi who has been the team's top performer, crossing the finish line first in six of the team's seven races this season and looks to improve upon his 50th place finish at last year's conference championship. Sophomore Avior Zynda earned All-CAC Second Team honors a year ago with a 13th-place finish while senior Josh Michael will be making his third CAC championship appearance.

The Mustangs have posted two top five finishes in three appearances at the CAC Cross Country Championships since joining the conference prior to the 2007 season. Freshman Elizabeth Carino will look to be the team's first all-conference performer as she has been the team's top finisher in each of its seven races this season. Only two Mustangs have experience competing at the conference championship, including sophomore Megan Najewicz who finished 27th at last year's conference championship and senior Lauren Redding who will be making her fourth championship appearance. Redding's best finish came as a freshman in 2007 when she placed 42nd.

WESLEY

The Wesley men’s team has been led all season by freshman Michael Leigey.  Terry Harens-Walgreen also returns after being the Wolverines' top finisher at the 2009 CAC Championships.

Wesley’s women’s squad could get a boost at the CAC Championships from three-sport student-athlete Tristin Burris, one of the fastest individuals in school history.  But her availability for the cross country championship will depend upon how far into the CAC Field Hockey Championships the Wolverines advance.  Otherwise, look for Kristen Sofia, a junior, to lead the way.

YORK

The YORK men's cross country squad heads into the 2010 CAC Championships with high hopes after a successful regular season. Led by freshman sensation Tim Hartung, who has paced the Spartans in each of their traditional meet this year, the Green and White will look to compete for one of the top slots at the conference meet. With quality performances from Steven Childres and Andrew Friesema the Spartans could be looking at snagging three All-CAC spots this season.

Sporting quite possibly their most competitive team in recent memory, the York women's cross country squad enters the 2010 CAC Championships looking for a fantastic finish. Led by sisters Melody and Mandy Parshall the Spartans bring tremendous quality to the conference meet. Tuesday Wilson, Corie Thompson, and Nicole Danielewicz have each placed in the top four finishers for the Green and White at some point this season and could post outstanding individual times. With such a crop of talented student-athletes, the Spartans could make some noise at the championship meet.