By Drew Levine ‘18
Associate Sports Editor
It’s an exciting time to be a Warrior sports fan, particularly one of cross country. This weekend, the Merrimack men’s cross-country team made program and school history by qualifying for the national championship meet which will be held in Evansville, Indiana. This qualification came after an impressive showing by the team at the NCAA East Regional Championship held at Daemon College in Amherst, NY. The powerful Merrimack lineup of racers resulted in a 3rd place finish out of twenty-three competing schools. Highlights included a strong performance by Senior Captain Keith Steinbrecher.
Steinbrecher had one of his best races of his career with a seventh-place finish and an impressive 5:25-mile average on the day. Steinbrecher attributed the team’s success to exceptional work ethic, “the team’s success this past weekend was a long time in the making. It stems from the fact that the entire team is completely invested in the training plan.” In addition to Steinbrecher, senior Christian Gentile, senior Connor Murphy, and junior John Sava brought the intensity to the day. Gentile finished close behind Steinbrecher with a 5:34 mile average. As for Murphy and Sava, they placed 28th and 29th respectively proving Merrimack to be
Overall, the entire team had a strong showing this weekend making for a complete team effort. Five Merrimack competitors placed in the top thirty-three making it possible for Merrimack to edge out Robert Wesleyan for third place, which was the final automatic entrance to the national championships. Coach Chris Cameron of the Warriors raved about his team’s toughness “it really was a testament to how mentally tough we were, and to see our men earn the program’s first-ever berth in the NCAA National Championships is so incredible.”
On November 18th, Merrimack men’s cross country will be showcased nationally and will have the opportunity to prove they belong. The chance to compete at the national level provides a glimpse into the future of Merrimack athletics as the school and program continue to grow.
