Lions Gear Up For AMCC Championships
The Penn State Behrend men’s and women’s cross country teams are gearing up for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) championships held in Grand Island, NY on Saturday.
ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's and women's cross country teams are gearing up for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) championships held in Grand Island, NY on Saturday.
The men's team is looking to regain AMCC dominance after Franciscan upended the Lions last season, ending the three-year reign as conference champions. Behrend has won the title a total of four times with their first being in 2000. Since 1997, only three different teams have won the AMCC championship; Frostburg State, Penn State Behrend, and Franciscan.
Sophomore Denis Lydon (Plum, PA/Plum) has led the Lions all year and is looking to improve on his sixth-place finish a year ago. Carl Kallgren (Erie, PA/McDowell) finished in second place last season at the championships, just three seconds behind Bill Jones of Franciscan. Alex Myers (Oakmont, PA/Riverview) finished in ninth place last year earning All-Conference honors as well.
On the women's side, sophomore Catie Bertges (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) has led the pack from the opening meet. She is one of the favorites to win the individual title after finishing seventh last season. Katie Spade (Warren, PA/Warren) finished in third place a year ago to bring home All-Conference accolades. Haley Hughes (Cochranton, PA/Cochranton) and Katie Patterson (Erie, PA/Villa Maria) also return after finishing in 11th and 14th place, respectively, a season ago.
The women's team last won the AMCC championship in 2007. They will aim to knock Franciscan from the first place ranks for the first time in three seasons. Behrend has a total of three conference championships with the first being in 2001.
Both teams will be in action on Saturday. The women's race will start at 11 a.m. with the men following at 12 p.m.
