DERWOOD, MD. – Under the direction of head coach Chris Fox, the Syracuse track & field team has gotten off to a blazing-hot start this indoor season. As numerous indoor records have taken a tumble this year, primarily in the sprinting and hurdles events, the Orange harriers' squad put an exclamation point on the distance game on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the 2009 USA Cross Country Championships at the Agricultural History Farm Park.

Up for grabs at Saturday's 8K "selection event" was a chance to represent the United States at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championship in Amman, Jordan. The top six finishers in the junior men's 8K would qualify for the World Championship at the end of March.

In six weeks, the Middle East will have two Orange members of the cross country and track & field team in freshmen Pat Dupont and Tito Medrano represent Syracuse University overseas. Dupont and Medrano finished fifth and sixth, respectively, garnering the chance to wear the Red, White and Blue at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championship. Dupont blazed the 8K path in 24:39 while his teammate Medrano closed out his day in 24:42.

"This is certainly one of the best days I can recall for both our cross country and track & field programs here at Syracuse," head coach Chris Fox stated. "As long as I've been here, there hasn't been a day that stands out quite like this one."

Two other first-year runners, Griff Graves and Zach Rivers, are in contention to be placed on the full junior men's squad as voted on by the governing body of United States Track & Field of America (USATF) due to their top 15 finishes. Graves generated 10th place showing of 24:55. Rivers rounded out the 8K in 25:10 for 14th.

Freshman Forrest Misenti also participated, yielding a 32nd place finish in 26:04.

"The coaching staff assembled one..... READ MORE