Multiple runners and staff members for Rowan Men’s Cross Country were honored with numerous awards for their outstanding play throughout the season.
The Profs have followed their coach’s race plans from the very beginning and in return, head coach Dustin Dimit as well as assistant coaches Eric DuBois and Greg McGuire were named NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
“I’m so happy they moved to Coaching Staff of the Year,” Dimit said. “It has always been Coach of the Year, but it is a complete team effort with our staff. Eric and Greg have done a ton to get the team where they are now. I’m really proud that the guys went out this year and executed. Those rewards reflect the players and assistants as much as anything.”
Along with the coaches, Scott Hubbard, Jacob Riley, and Joshua Cason were crowned with First Team All-Conference honors. Dario Epifania, Shane Vostenak, Matthew Conway, and Tyler Greene received the title of Second Team All-Conference.
This is Riley’s third year in a row on the first team. It is monumental for the Profs to have someone consistently run well in the most meaningful races.
“A lot of the training builds off of itself,” Riley said. “I just try to be in the top of workouts and pull people forward with me.”
Rowan’s most important race of the season, the NCAA DIII Metro Regional Championship, lies ahead of them this weekend. After a fifth-place finish in the meet last season, the Profs are looking to move up the ranks towards the top spot.
“Anything is possible,” Riley said. “We had a great day at the Border Battle. It comes down to how we
race on that given day. We know how to run the DREAM Park, so that will help put us in a spot where
we can win.”
As Riley mentioned, the Metro Regional Championship will be held at Rowan’s home course, the DREAM Park in Logan Township. At the Border Battle earlier this season, the Profs secured two victories in dominant fashion at the course, giving them confidence ahead of their second go-around.
“We have to execute the exact same race plan we had at the Border Battle,” Dimit said. “It’s the same course, so if we do that, we’ll be in the mix to win the region. We’ll get a shot to at least uphold our ranking at number two, but maybe pick off Haverford. We have a chance to get some individuals, or the whole team, to nationals.”
A large portion of Metro Region teams are from the NJAC. The Profs have already raced against all, and beaten many, of the regional foes they will see this weekend.
“We’ve faced everybody in our region at some point,” Dimit said. “TCNJ is ranked third in the region and we’re second, with Stockton and Ramapo in the top ten as well. It’ll be a tight race where four or five teams could be in the top two. We’re hoping we can pull off one more good race and keep up racing our best at the end of the year and get that first or second place.”
One more good race will keep the Profs’ outstanding season in motion. In order to do that, they will need to bring their A-Game to the Metro Regional Championship on Saturday, Nov. 11.
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