Last year the men’s cross country team finished in seventh place and lost All-Conference runner Adam Lindsey.

This season Elon has struggled to replace Lindsey and to have a clear number one runner, a situation that has not found a resolution heading into the Southern Conference meet.

But coach Jackie Sgambati sees it as an advantage instead of a problem.

“It is a very good thing,” Sgambati said. “On conference day we just need to pull it together and have everyone be that number one guy.”

Senior Eric Garren, juniors Ricky Myers and Eric Lewandowski and freshman Matthew Richardson have all finished around the top for the Phoenix at some point this year, and have developed as a fast pack of leaders.

“If all four of them, with our fifth guy, run together, we are going be tough to beat and certainly be a top-5 contender,” Sgambati said. “It can be a real big surprise for the others teams.”

The team’s number-one-runner-by committee plan has led the team to a second place finish at the Catamount Classic and a fourth place finish at the Disney Classic, a race that featured 41 schools.

“We don’t have a top-top runner on our guy’s side,” Sgambati said. “On the guys side we don’t have a top 5 or top 10 but we certainly have a few contenders for top 20.

“If we run all our guys between 20th and 25th place we will certainly place well. The guys are definitely more packed than the girls.”

The Phoenix will be one of the teams competing for third place, along with UNC-Greensboro, Western Carolina University, Davidson College and Furman University,

“It is between four teams, we could be third and we could be sixth,” Sgambati said.

Much like the women’s side, there are two teams that are locked into the top two places, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and Appalachian State University. Sgambati has strived to be like those two teams.

Chattanooga and Appalachian State have all of their runners within a minute of each other and are usually packed in the front.

“When your separation is that small you can be very good,” Sgambati said.

Managing Editor: Justin Hite - 10/24/07