QU Men's Cross Country Looks for First MAAC Championship on Friday at 11:00 AM From Holmdel Park

HAMDEN, Conn. – The traditionally dominant Quinnipiac men's cross country team looks to regain its championship form in their second MAAC Championship appearance on Friday at 11:00 am from Holmdel Park. After finishing no worse than second from 2003-09, the Bobcats experienced a lull from 2010-11 before finishing a mere seven points out of first place in the 2012 Northeast Conference Championship. Now armed with two of the most talented and experienced runners in the conference in junior Brendan Copley (Colchester, Vt.) and senior Spencer Mannion (Brookfield, Conn.), the Bobcats will look to improve upon their 7^th place showing in the MAAC last season and potentially challenge 23-time defending champion Iona.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

The Bobcats started the year off strong with a 3^rd place showing out of five teams at the Stony Brook Invitational. Quinnipiac was paced by five runners who placed in the Top 22 finishers overall, including a career-best finish from junior Matt Mensher (Tolland, Conn.). One of the most underrated performers through the years, Mensher busted through with a 7^th place showing which was good enough for his highest finish ever in his three-year career, second career Top 10 finish and first time placing first on the team.

Several Bobcats picked up career-bests in the next event at the Bryant Invitational, a meet in which the Bobcats placed 6^th as a team out of eight schools. Copley showed well in his first appearance of the season as he crossed the line in 4^th place while Mannion crossed the line in 19^th place to lead the Bobcats. Where the Bobcats really started to show their depth started with sophomore Dylan Fearon (Tenafly, N.J.) as he placed 21^st overall and established a new career-best as he was the third-fastest on the team. Finally, senior Thomas Dextradeur (Branford, Conn.) started his comeback as he placed 36^th overall in his first race back since Aug. 31, 2013 as he missed much of last season due to injury.

A key meet in the 2014 season for Quinnipiac was the Monmouth Invitational as the Bobcats competed on the same course that'll play host to the 2014 MAAC Championships. Leading the way for Quinnipiac once again was Mensher as he added to his arsenal with a 13^th place showing to help the Bobcats finish 6^th overall out of eight institutions. Not far behind Mensher was freshman Drew Reda (Holmdel, N.J.) who placed 15^th overall while racing before his hometown faithful.

Perhaps the turning point in the 2014 season came on Saturday, Oct. 4 as the Bobcats placed 3^rd out of 40 teams to record the best finish at the Paul Short Run in program history. Everything seemed to click for Quinnipiac as the Bobcats executed a perfect game plan in what is the largest field of competitors the team will face in a meet this season. Five of the Bobcats' top seven runners placing in the Top 50 overall and six of the seven Quinnipiac runners were separated by a mere 34 seconds. The monumental achievement for the Bobcats bested their previous high finish of 6^th place back in the 2009 Paul Short Run. Copley (14^th), Reda (22^nd), Mannion (26^th), Fearon (45^th), Mensher (46^th) and Dextradeur (52^nd) all combined to lead a spirited effort for the Bobcats in one of their most impressive events in the last few seasons.

Just one week removed from one of the best all-around performances in quite some time for Quinnipiac, the Bobcats chose not to settle and continued to push ahead with another impressive 13^th place finish at the New England Championships. Racing in horrid conditions as the rain pelted down and the temperatures lingered around 50 degrees, Quinnipiac wasn't fazed as their top six runners crossed the line just over 43 seconds apart. Their 13^th place showing as a team is the highest finishing spot for Quinnipiac at the New England Championships since Oct. 11, 2008 when the Bobcats claimed 11^th place. Heading the Bobcats' effort was Copley who placed 25^th out of 262 runners to place first on the team and win his first MAAC Runner of the Week honor of the 2014 season and the second of his career.

In their final warmup prior to the MAAC Championship, the Bobcats took 8^th place out of 19 teams at the CCSU Mini Meet. Mannion took his turn leading the way for the Bobcats as the senior heads into the conference championship meet following a 34^th place showing on Friday, earning him his first MAAC Runner of the Week award. For Mannion, it was a crowning achievement as it was his first time placing first on the team since the NEC Championship back in his freshman season on Oct. 29, 2011.

TOP PERFORMERS TO WATCH FOR QUINNIPIAC IN 2014 MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP

Brendan Copley
The two-time All-Conference performer will look to make it three straight All-Conference nods on Friday at the 2014 MAAC Championships. Quinnipiac's most dynamic runner had his streak of 11 straight meets in which he finished tops on the team broken last week by Mannion at the CCSU Mini Meet. Despite the disturbance, the Bobcats' cornerstone competitor will look to match his dominance in the conference championship meet from 2013 where he placed 10^th overall, third-fastest amongst sophomores and fourth-fastest of any runner not from nationally-ranked Iona.