On the heels of their CUNYAC Championship season, the College of Staten Island men’s cross-country squad enjoyed a total of five end of the year citations from the City University of New York Athletic Conference, it was announced today. For the second-straight season, Head Coach Robert Russo earned the conference’s Coach of the Year honor, while freshman dynamo Andrew Scharf will bring home the conference’s Rookie of the Year Award. Alongside the major award winners, Liam McMunn, Kenneth Morella and Justin Mills all earned all-star status.
Russo was a good choice for the conference’s highest coaching honor. The Dolphins repeated as champs, winning this year’s major race by a slim six-point margin over runner-up John Jay College. The Dolphins posted four runners among the Top 15 at the Championship and will look to carry over the success at the NCAA Regionals next weekend.
CUNYAC Rookie of the Week and Player of the Week honoree Andrew Scharf was the CUNYAC’s selection for Rookie of the Year honors and with good merit. The freshman posted a sixth-place finish at the CUNYAC Championship with a time of 29:25.6, tops among the Dolphins unit. Scharf was CSI’s first finisher in all but one meet that he ran, and the freshman consistently posted improved race times during the course of the season.
Fellow frosh Liam McMunn also had a debut campaign to remember. McMunn was third to cross for CSI at the CUNYAC Championship Meet, posting a time of 30:34.4, good for 12th overall. He was bested by fellow all-star and sophomore Kenneth Morella, who powered to a 30:24.8 finish, landing him his second straight all-star credential. Likewise for Justin Mills, who raced in at a time of 30:48.7, good for 14th in the field.
Top honors in the CUNYAC went to Lehman College’s John Polina, who won Performer of the Year, finishing first at the CUNYAC Championship Meet.
