When Chris Fox found out the Syracuse cross country team was nationally ranked for the first time in school history last fall, he hoped it would be the foundation of a special year for the SU track and field program.
So as Fox watched distance runner Kyle Heath become the third man to cross the finish line of the 4XMile relay event at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia Saturday, he saw it as a culmination of something that had been brewing since that time: the arrival of Syracuse onto track and field's national stage.
Heath, along with Dan Busby, Jordan Davis and Jeff Scull, recorded a time of 16:31.99 and a third-place finish in the 4XMile relay of the Penn Relays meet, finishing just behind teams from Texas and Virginia. "The Championship of America" heat in which the Orange competed is considered one of the most prestigious events in track and field, and was run in front of a live audience of 40,000 people.
"Just to get in the event is an honor, but to get in there and do great is a big deal," Fox said. "It was a seminal day for the program, and it's a bigger step than any we've had all year."
The rest of the Syracuse track and field team fed off of the relay team's positive energy, continuing its winning ways at the Penn Relays and Big Red Invitational in Ithaca, N.Y. SU added two more athletes, Ramon Sosa and Annabelle Pellerin, to the growing ranks of those to qualify NCAA regional competition. Additionally, two other athletes who had already earned regional invitations, Jillian Drouin and Sheron Mark, garnered regional invitations from the NCAA for other events.
Though a third-place finish that didn't result in any NCAA qualifications may not seem like much of an accomplishment or motivator for a team, achieving such a result at the Championship of America level is considered a monumental finish. No Syracuse team has been capable of achieving such a feat in the past several decades, failing to so much as receive an invitation to compete.
The result was even more surprising, considering the 4XMile team was seeded 18th out of 18 teams and shocked the field with its finish. That field included highly touted track programs such as Arkansas, Mississippi State and Michigan.
Fox was ecstatic about his team's finish. He said the coaching staff expected a high finish but hardly one as good as third. Fox said such a finish constituted a big step in the direction of the program's ultimate goal - to become a national powerhouse.
"I think all of us had high expectations going in, and it kind of panned out in how we finished," Heath said. "Being able to run well and be part of something like this is exciting, and it helps all of us gain some confidence."
The weekend's momentum could prove vital heading into the Big East championships next weekend. It was important for the team to succeed in Philadelphia and Ithaca in order to set the tone for conference competition. SU's results this weekend were some of its best in the outdoor season and helped to get it in gear for the championship schedule of the coming weeks.
"We've been doing great this year, and we've had a lot of people qualify for high level meets," Drouin said. "But nothing really counts until you get to the Big East, though. We're going to see a big results from a lot of people."
Despite SU's repeatedly strong performances, Fox is urging his team to remain level-headed going into championship season. Fox will continue to urge his squad to work hard even as it competes on the sport's biggest stages.
"Each week, the meets get a little bigger and the competition gets a little tougher," Fox said. "The team is looking good, but people have to keep working hard."
mpcost@syr.edu
Be the first to comment on this article!