What a rise for this program
For the Syracuse Orange All-21st Century Team for cross-country, we are using Championship roster rules. This means each squad will have seven athletes selected and that means some deserving runners have been left out…maybe some of them will show when we move to the track.
We start with the women and the team I’ve selected are: Paige Stoner, Katie Hursey, Margo Malone, Amanda Vestri, Lauren Penney, Samantha Roark and Sarah Pagano.
Stoner had the best NCAA finish in Orange women’s history when she was 17th in 2017. She was also the ACC Champion that season.
Hursey was the Orange’s first women to win the NCAA Northeast Regional title. She was a two-time top-10 finisher in the Big East Championships.
Malone recorded two top-10 finishes in the ACC Championships, including 3rd place in 2015. Had three top-65 finishers at the NCAA Championships.
Vestri had three top-10 ACC Championship finishes including a 2nd place. Was the NCAA Northeast Regional Champion in 2021
Penney finished 29th at the NCAA Championships and had two top-10 NCAA Northeast Regional finishes.
Roark earned All-American honors with a 22nd place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships and was a two-time top-10 NCAA Northeast Regional finisher
Pagano was named to three All-Big East teams and two NCAA Northeast Regional teams.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Now for the men’s squad: Justyn Knight, Martin Hehir, Colin Bennie, Sam Lawler, Pat Dupont, Tito Medrano and Jeff Scull.
Knight won the Orange’s first individual NCAA XC Championship. He had three top-5 NCAA finishes and won two ACC titles.
Hehir won Syracuse’s first individual Big East Championship and ACC Championship.
Bennie had two top-20 NCAA finishes and three top-5 ACC Championship finishes in his Orange career.
Lawler was an All-American last fall after finishing 28th at NCAA Championships. He also has two top-10 finishes at ACC Championships and one season to add to his resume.
Dupont had two top-40 finishes at NCAA Championships and three top-10 finishes at Big East Championships, claiming 4th place twice.
Medrano earned All-American honors in 2009 with a 39th place finish at NCAA and had three top-20 Big East finishes.
Scull was the runner who helped reinvigorate the program. He had three top-20 Big East finishes, qualified for the NCAA Championship as an individual and led the 2009 team to the first NCAA appearance for the Orange since 1974.
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We left out a lot of talented athletes, but it’s been quite a turnaround for these programs since 2000.