The Binghamton men’s cross country team starts its second season in the America East Conference with a roster the blends both experience and youth. Head coach Annette Acuff’s squad consists of four seniors, three sophomores and a freshman.
“We are excited about this season, Acuff said. “We have a good mix of veterans and underclassmen. When it comes time for the conference meet, the experience from last season will help the team.”
The top two runners on the men’s team this season are sophomore Sergey Shteyn and senior Kellen Wadach.
As a freshman, Shteyn was a pleasant surprise on last season’s squad, finishing second on the team in two meets and third in another meet. Although he struggled with injuries during the latter part of the 2001 campaign, he appears to be healthy and ready to make the most out of this season.
“Sergey is a very tough, intense and committed runner,” Acuff said. “After his injury last season he should be even more motivated to do well this year.”
Wadach has been a mainstay on the squad the past three seasons. In 2001, he finished among the team’s top five runners in six of the Bearcats’ eight races. Twice he was the second-fastest runner on the squad.
“Kellen should do very well this season,” Acuff said. “With his experience, we are also looking for him provide leadership.”
Three other runners who figure to be among the top scorers are senior Bobby Heytota, sophomore Peter Chambers and freshman Prahlad Genung.
Heytota finished the 2001 season strong, scoring in four out of the last five races. He was Binghamton’s third-fastest runner at the NCAA Northeast Regional.
Chambers scored in each of the final three meets last season. At the America East Championships, he was Binghamton’s second-fastest runner.
Genung is the lone freshman on the squad. Hailing from Afton, N.Y., he was a standout performer at Afton Central High School, where he was a three-time Class D state qualifier and four-year letterwinner.

2002 Schedule

Binghamton’s 2002 schedule includes invitationals at Colgate (Sept. 7), Syracuse (Sept. 21) and Albany (Oct. 12). Also on the schedule is the prestigious Lehigh Paul Short Run (Sept. 28), which will include many top teams from the East and Midwest.
The biggest race of the season, however, will once again be the America East Conference Championships, held Nov. 2 in Boston. Last season, Binghamton finished seventh out of nine teams, but is determined to improve upon that finish this season