Coming off of a bye week, Syracuse is fully prepared for the Boston Inter-Regional on Friday — the first meet that will count toward the team’s quest for nationals.

The men’s team took first place in each of the first two meets, but head coach Chris Fox said those meets aren’t as important as the ones to come. The Harry Lang and Dartmouth Invitationals helped the men get back into the competitive feel, but the more challenging meets are in the future.

“They have been small meets and we have not run all our guys yet,” said Fox.

It’s been two weeks since the last meet, which has given the Orange more time to practice before the first meet that will count toward the journey to nationals.

“We have a lot of strength right now,” senior Griff Graves said. “Just getting in a full week of uninterrupted training is always huge.”

The upcoming meet will be a tougher test, and the runners are prepared. Syracuse has been focusing on its speed and strength to maintain a faster pace from beginning to end.

Many of the new runners have shown promise in the first two meets. Redshirt freshman MJ Erb was the first SU runner to finish in the Dartmouth Invitational in just his second meet with the team.

“I am just doing my best to try to help the team to win,” said Erb.

Graves placed two spots behind Erb at Dartmouth and is eager to lead the team to nationals.

He knows that the general pace of the race will be faster due to the more challenging competitors. But he also believes that with the team getting healthier and stronger, many of the runners can place in the top seven nationally by the end of the year.

With many freshmen still waiting to compete, this meet will be the ultimate test.

“There are a bunch of young guys that are ready to break through,” said Fox. “This will be their first real test in college cross country.”

Published on September 26, 2013 at 1:58 am