Albany, NY----The Sage Colleges is ready to take the pathways and send another of their newest programs into action this week with the launch of men's cross country. Head Coach Jim Bowles worked hard in his first year at the College and the fruits of his labors have paid off with the arrival of his first Gator men's cross country team.

The Gators will open action on Saturday, September 4 at the 2010 SUNY-IT Wildcat Invitational. Sage will compete in six regular-season events that culminate with the 2010 Skyline Conference Championship on October 31, while two additional post-season events may complete the team's first year of varsity action with the ECAC Division III Championship and the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championships, both in November on the docket.

Leading the Sage men's cross country program is a seasoned coach with an extensive background as a coach, competitive runner, and team leader. Bowles came to Sage in 2009 after serving the past ten seasons at Siena College. When asked about Bowles addition to the department last summer, Drews said, "With Jim Bowles at the helm of our new men's cross country team, we have been able to not only secure a head coach with over 20 years of head coaching experience, but a gentleman who lives and breathes the sport." Drews added, "We couldn't have found a better person to start a program and make us contenders in just a few years."

Bowles is still an active runner himself and very involved within the sport having served as the Elite Athlete Coordinator for the Freihofer's Run for Women as well as a member of the Capital District Track and Field Officials organization. He will begin building his cross country program immediately for the Sage Gators and will have an entire year to build his program in advance of the first competition in the Fall of 2010.

During his tenure at Siena, Bowles led both the men's and women's programs that have progressed in size and he helped develop hundreds of quality student-athletes. The women's team topped Siena's 18 Division I sports in the 2007-08 academic year with a 3.49 team GPA. The men's team was also one of 12 teams to post a 3.0 GPA or better (3.19).

Both the men's and women's teams were named National Academic Squads multiple times during Bowles' tenure, often earning the recognition with distinction. Bowles' student-athletes also have competed in America's premier road races, including the Boston and New York Marathons.

Siena's top finish in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships under Bowles came in 2002 and 2003 when the women's team finished in third place. This past fall, the women finished eighth and the men finished ninth in the MAAC Championships which were held in Orlando, Florida.

The first Gator team will be lead by co-captains, Jason Appelgate (Schenectady, NY/Mohanasen) and Bryan Kelly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley Central). The pair come to Sage with extensive scholastic backgrounds and have stepped up as early leaders on the team. Senior John Dolny (Colonie, NY/Colonie Central) is a Dean's List student at Sage and will wear a Gator uniform this fall after excelling in both football and wrestling in high school. Shaker High graduate, Christopher Nerf (Latham, NY/Shaker) and Mesfin Solomon (Albany, NY/Albany) and round out the lineup expected to lead the team this fall.

2010 SAGE MEN' S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE "THE GATORS"

September

Sat. 4 at SUNY-IT Wildcat Invitational, Noon
(Utica, NY)

Sat. 18 at Bard College Invitational, 12:45 p.m.
(Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)

Sat. 25 at Southern Vermont College Mountaineer Invitational, 11:00 a.m.
(Bennington, VT)

October

Sat. 2 at Mount Saint Mary College Knight Invitational, 11:45 a.m.  
(Chadwick Lake Park, Newburgh, NY)

Sat. 16 at Green Mountain College Invitational, 11:45 a.m.
(Poultney, VT)

Sun. 31 at Skyline Conference Championships, 1:00 p.m.
(at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY)

November

Sat. 6 at ECAC Division III Championships, 11:00 a.m.
(Hosted at Colts State Park, Bristol, RI)

Sat. 13 at NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championships, 11:00 a.m.
(Hosted by Oneonta State, Fortin Park, Oneonta, NY)

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