BENNINGTON, Vt. – Men's cross country coaches within the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) have chosen Southern Vermont College to finish third at the conference meet at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass. on October 26.

The Mountaineers, who finished second in the 2012 meet, bring back four runners to the squad. Amongst those is junior Victor Velazquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) who finished 10th at last year's conference championship with a time of 31:16, placing him on the All-NECC Second Team. Also returning is sophomore Cameron Curtiss (Milton, Vt.) after a freshman year in which he chipped almost 8:30 off his time from the beginning of the season to the NCAA Regional meet in early November.

First-year head coach and former Mountaineer runner Kathleen Newton has high hopes for the team and plans on helping each of her team members continue to get better. "I would like to see each runner improve throughout the season and have their best performances at the championship races," said Newton. She continued by noting that, "I see the new athletes to the cross country program contributing positive energy and strength to the team. They are fitting in well, working hard and creating a strong team connection."

Lesley University, the four-time defending NECC Champion, was unanimously selected to finish first again. Mitchell College ranked second in the preseason voting, and Elms College rounds out the top-four.

Southern Vermont begins the 2013 campaign with the Williams College Co-Ed Relays on September 7 and then hosts the Mountaineer Invitational the following Saturday, September 14. Additional races during the season include the Vermont State Championship at Castleton State College on September 28 and the Western New England University Golden Bear Invitational on October 19. In addition to the NECC Championship in late October, the Mountaineers also have sights on the NCAA Regional Championship at the University of Southern Maine on November 16.

2013 NECC Men's Cross Country Poll     (NECC RELEASE)

1. Lesley (7)
2. Mitchell
3. Southern Vermont
4. Elms
5. Newbury
6. Regis
7. Daniel Webster