Men's Cross Country Expects Big Things In 2003
Aug. 22, 2003
Coral Gables, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – Over the last several seasons head coach Mike Ward has steadily built up the men’s cross country program into one of the top ranked teams in the Southeast Region. This season however he expects the Hurricanes to take it to an even higher level. And with four of UM’s top five runners returning from last year’s team that ranked ninth in the region, and a top notch recruiting class, Miami has the horses to do just that.
Leading the Hurricanes this season will be senior captain Matt Mulvaney (South Hadley, MA). The 2002 All-South Region performer was the Hurricanes top finisher in five of six events last season including a 20th-place finish at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championships, the highest finish ever by a Hurricane, and a 15th-place finish at the NCAA South Regional Championships.
Mulvaney has been slowed this preseason with a strained right knee, which he suffered while working out at home this summer, but Ward still expects big things from his team’s lone senior.
“I think Matt has good chance of becoming our first cross country runner to qualify for the NCAA Championships,” said Ward. “The injury this summer has slowed his preseason workouts, but I think the training he has done over the last three seasons will help him come back strong for his senior season.”
Also returning to UM this season is a trio of talented lettermen including sophomores Alex Brutvan (Boca Raton, FL) and James Mullaly (Ellicott City, MD), and junior William Bludgus (Bayonne, NJ).
Brutvan recorded an impressive freshman campaign in 2002, scoring in every meet, including a top-75 finish at the NCAA South Regional Championships. Mullaly struggled with injuries last season but still managed to score in four of the five meets in which he competed, and Bludgus was a pleasant surprise last year scoring in five races.
“Brutvan has improved a lot over the summer and will really push Mulvaney this season,” commented Ward. “James (Mullaly) struggled with some injuries last season but he is healthy and ready to go, and Bludgus is running very, very well. I’m expecting a lot from these guys this season.”
In addition to the returning lettermen, Miami welcomes a strong recruiting class headed by freshmen Thomas Berry (Stamford, CT) and Seth Kampf (Ellicott City, MD).
Berry finished 10th at the 2002 Connecticut State Class LL Cross Country Championships and was named team MVP for the second consecutive season as well as earning first-team All-County honors.
Kampf, who is from the same high school as Mullaly, finished third at the Howard County Cross Country Championships and 14th at the Maryland State Championships as a senior earning first-team All-Howard County and second-team All-Metro honors.
Rounding out the Hurricanes recruiting class are Zachery Castiglione (Brighton, MI), Michael Fleischer (Port Orange, FL) and Jonathan Scheiner (Katy, TX).
“This is a very talented group of freshmen and we will ask them to do a lot this season,” said Ward. “This is by far the deepest team we have had since I’ve been at Miami.”
Miami opens its season at the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Invitational on Saturday, August 30 in West Palm Beach, FL.
