Bronx, NY

Hunter College has become synonymous with winning conference titles over the last decade. Head coach Ed Zarowin enters his 20th year guiding the Hawks and his 42nd in the sport overall with a men's team determined to build on last year's second straight win. The individual gold medalist, Omri Holzman (Tel-Aviv, Israel), is only a sophomore this season. Returning with him are senior Kamal Dahib (Moulay, Morocco), a two-time silver medalist, as well as sophomores Nick Montelione (Stony Point, NY) and Yugin Dmitriev (Brooklyn, NY). Hunter will also be bolstered by the arrival of junior Peter Zaccariello (Staten Island, NY) and freshman Shane Clarke (Hastings-On-Hudson, NY).
After winning an unprecedented five straight titles, the Hunter women were finally toppled a year ago. Despite losing four of last year's top five runners, including bronze medalist Amy Saas, the Hawks will be an even stronger squad this fall. Credit that to the comeback of senior Donna Mahoney (Staten Island, NY), the 2001 gold medalist, who missed all of last season due to injury. Sophomores Wendy Samuel (Bronx, NY) and Ann Marie Guerra (Brooklyn, NY) also return and will be joined by freshmen Jen Zaccariello (Staten Island, NY) and Stacy Werner (Port Chester, NY) plus track holdover Melissa Puz (Long Beach, CA).

The defending women's champions, York College, will be without individual gold medalist Kenya Benjamin, who did not return to school this semester. Four of her running mates are back, however: junior Tolulope Ojo (Queens, NY), who finished fifth at last fall's championships, senior Shakima Thomas (Far Rockaway, NY), senior Amy-Louis Charles (Brooklyn, NY), and junior Tiffany Brown (Queens, NY). One newcomer hoping to keep the Cardinals on top is freshman Khema Seubarran (Edgewater, FL).
York head coach Tom Pope expects his men to be led by track veterans Pernell Duncan (Queens, NY) and John McCollin (Queens, NY).

John Jay College, runners-up on the men's side last season, will look to sophomore Sandy Pichardo (Woodside, NY) to set the pace. Pichardo, who placed eighth in the senior college standings, will again be joined by junior Dexter Vilain (Ozone Park, NY) and sophomore Jorge Rosales (Brooklyn, NY). Longtime head coach Dr. Robert Fox will also have five freshmen to bolster the roster.
For the women's team, which took sixth in the championships, sophomore Krystal Bukowski (Brooklyn, NY) returns along with junior Santa Guity (New York, NY), sophomore Jenny Escobar (Woodside, NY), and junior Jamie DeSapio (New York, NY).

The return of the 2000 gold medalist, senior Hana Pechackova (Tabor, Czech Republic), has the Baruch College women aiming higher than last year's third place spot. Head coach Bill Eng enters the season with a total of five experienced runners and six newcomers on hand for the Bearcats. His other veterans include sophomores Liz Lushpenko (Brooklyn, NY), Jennifer Liriano (Bayside, NY), and Karen Christian (Clarendon, Jamaica), along with senior Cristina Scorza (Mexico City, Mexico).

The men's team at New York City College of Technology has been steadily improving every season, slotting an all-time best third place showing last year. Four of their top five runners are back as the Yellow Jackets set their sights even higher this year. Starting with senior Roger Redhead (Brooklyn, NY), junior Raphael Lynch (St. John's, Antigua), and sophomore Tristan Joris (Brooklyn, NY), head coach John Strickland easily has the deepest roster in the league.
The Yellow Jacket women hope to improve on last year's seventh place showing with senior Nichola Hall (Kingston, Jamaica) and junior Melodie Noel (Brooklyn, NY) breaking in a crop of 10 freshmen.

Despite tremendous success on the track during the winner and spring of 2003, Lehman College head coach Lesleigh Hogg is still trying to win a cross country title. The women's team, which finished fourth last season, hopes to move up despite the loss of silver medalist Maria Castro to graduation. Replacing the 2002-03 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be a combination of veterans and newcomers. Veterans include junior Su-Elene Cuevas (Bronx, NY) and sophomore Shelly Ann Finnigan (Bronx, NY). Newcomers include freshmen Denise Stanislaus and Lizette Martinez, both of whom hail from the Bronx.
Hogg's challenge on the men's side is greater, even with the return of second-year Bronx natives Bill Agosto and Victor Onyekwere. The addition of four new runners to the Lightning, however, might change their fortune.