New collegiate athletic seasons always feature new talent, usually as competitors.  In addition to incoming freshmen and transfers this season, the Capital Athletic Conference cross country season features three new coaches and two second-year coaches. 

What likely won’t change is that every team and individual will be chasing Mary Washington and Salisbury in the team standings and for individual all-conference honors.

Frostburg State, which is joining the CAC for all sports this season, will add the cross country coaching duties to Dale Luy, who has coached the track & field team for the past three seasons.  Becky Parks takes over the reigns at Stevenson and Erick Camodeca, who has served as York’s men’s track & field coach the past couple of seasons, was hired this summer as the Spartans’ first full-time men’s and women’s cross country and track & field coach. 

Additionally, Marymount’s Josh Merck and St. Mary’s Tom Fisher enter their second season as head cross country coach at their respective institutions.

In 19 seasons, Mary Washington has won 11 CAC men’s cross country championships, including the 2009 title, and 13 women’s crowns.  Salisbury has won eight CAC men’s x-c title, all between 1997 and 2008, as well as six women’s championships, including two straight and five of the last six.

In the 2010 preseason rankings, Mary Washington is sixth in the South/Southeast region while Salisbury is tied for ninth in the Mideast region according to the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Individually, UMW’s Sarah Dawes will be out to defend her 2009 CAC women’s individual championship.  On the men’s side, Salisbury’s Stephen Berstler Jr. was the 2009 CAC Rookie of the Year after finishing third in the championship chase.

The 2010 season opened Wednesday (9/1) when Hood and Marymount competed in a tri-meet at Shenandoah University.  Several other teams break into action Saturday (9/4) when Salisbury hosts a season-opening invitational and Frostburg State competes at NCAA Division II Shippensburg.  The season culminates with the 2010 CAC Championship meet, slated to be held Nov. 6 at Salisbury University.

Here is a look at each team for the 2010 season:

Dale Luy who has served as the school’s track & field coach for the last three years, begins is his first season as head cross country coach at FROSTBURG STATE this fall.  Junior Gavin Caupp is a two-time all-conference selection with a pair of top five finishes at the conference championships. Senior Kevin Wright and junior Nicholas Weddle have performed consistently throughout their careers and should continue to do so in 2010. Sophomore Jesse Henderson’s 18^th place finish at the conference championships in his rookie year gives the Bobcats an optimistic glimpse into the future.

On the women’s squad, junior Anne Patron should help guide the team after finishing with five top ten finishes and all-conference honors a year ago. Senior Jessica O’Neil should also be a key contributor.

After graduating three outstanding seniors, eighth-year HOOD head coach Brent Ayer will turn to sophomore Brett Shelly, last year’s No. 2 runner, to lead the Blazer men into the fall. The remaining scoring spots are all up for grabs. Returning junior Dave Gudeman will vie with a series of promising newcomers for the top five spots.

On the women’s squad, Hood's top returners are juniors Joanna LaBoue and Maria Moss, sophomore Erica Burgess and senior Samantha Smith who all ran in the Blazers' top five at one time or another last year. LaBoue ran No. 2 for Hood in her first year of competitive running. With the addition of seven first-time cross country runners, coach Ayer hopes the Blazers can improve on their seventh-place finish from last year's CAC championship meet.

MARYMOUNT enters its second season under coach Josh Merck, returning three of its top men’s runners and two of the Saints’ top women’s runners from 2009.  The MU men will be led by sophomores Mark Flores and Udit Bhatnager, along with junior Emmanuel Wansi, who all competed in the CAC Championships last year.  Among the Saints’ additions is Mike Dalrymple, who served his country and is now a Marine veteran.

The Marymount women’s returnees include senior Meryem Nouclair and Rachael Raske.  Among those joining the squad are scholastic all-state qualifier Jessie Daley and Millrose Games champion and high school All-American Dana Mannarino.

The defending CAC champion MARY WASHINGTON men will have a new look this season, as four all-conference seniors were lost to graduation. Heading the list of returnees for the Eagles, who are ranked sixth in the South/Southeast Region are returning all-conference runners Scott Plunkett, Kyle Anderson, David Gayek, Chris Marino, and Stephen Harrison.

The UMW women return their top two runners from a year ago in all-conference seniors Sarah Dawes and Kristy Witek. Also rteturning for Coach Stan Soper are all-conference harriers Michaela Sands, Mara Cate, and Dawn Rainbolt.

The SALISBURY  men’s cross country team will look to return to its winning ways after coming in second in the CAC in 2009 after a string of four consecutive CAC championships and seven since 2000.  The men’s squad returns senior Chris Barnard and 2009 CAC Rookie of the Year Stephen Berstler Jr.

The Sea Gulls’ women’s cross country team is set to defend their CAC Championship title for the second consecutive year and will be in the hunt for the program’s seventh overall championship in 2010. The women will be paced by senior Kristin Stromberg and junior Becca Stinner, who both landed on the All-CAC first team in ’09.

Second-year ST. MARY’S head coach Tom Fisher is very excited about the 2010 campaign as he welcomes to campus his first recruiting class, including Matt Bennett, a 2009 Baltimore Sun "Runner to Watch;" Ian Morgan, who finished 34th at the 2009 NXN Southeast Regional Championships; and Scott Smoot to the men's side.

For the SMC women, Keighly Braddock, Shannon Rafferty and Caroline VanBlargan will be expected to make immediate contributions and complement Katie Phipps' efforts. 

STEVENSON is optimistic about the 2010 season under new head coach Becky Parks. An accomplished runner herself, Parks has the benefit of three returners from 2009, including All-CAC Second Team selection, sophomore Avior Zynda. Zynda finished 13th at the CAC championship a year ago and was the top finisher in four out of the final five races for the Mustangs. Joining him are senior Josh Michael and sophomore Patrick Cristaldi. Three newcomers include freshmen Richard Henderson, Tom Oliver and Logan Pasqual.

The Stevenson women’s team returns three upperclassmen and welcomes three newcomers under coach Parks. Senior Lauren Redding is the team's most experienced veteran after having competed the last three seasons while senior Aubrey Schneider, who is also a member of the women's golf team at Stevenson, returns for her second season. Sophomore Megan Najewicz also returns for her second season after finishing second on the team in four of her five races a year ago. Newcomers include sophomore Jessica Britton and freshmen Elizabeth Carino and Mary Kate Lutz.

WESLEY features a roster of five freshman and two sophomores in 2010.  Sophomore Terry Harens-Walgreen was the Wolverines fastest runner at Goldey-Beacom last year and will lead the youthful roster for head coach Steve Pickering.

The Wesley women’s team will mix three newcomers among five returners in 2010.  Senior Kristine Bailey was either Wesley's first or second runner at every meet last year and will lead the .

The YORK men's cross country squad begins 2010 with mixed thoughts. Despite having only seven student-athletes on the current roster, new head coach Erick Camodeca hopes those seven will provide quality results. Senior Andrew Friesema and sophomore Steven Childres highlight the Spartan squad as each could post outstanding finishes this season.

The YCP women's squad enters the 2010 season with high hopes. Returning to the lineup are standouts Melody Parshall, Corie Thompson, and Tuesday Wilson - each of whom had tremendous seasons last year. Mandy Parshall, one of the Spartans' top track student-athletes, joins the cross country ranks this season to create an even stronger core of talented runners.