WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 25, 2022) -- With the highly anticipated 2022 MAC Cross Country Championships just four short days away, the King's College men's and women's cross country teams are prepared to take on the 18-team field on Saturday's meet. The meet will feature all 18 programs from the MAC and is hosted by Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa at Union Canal Tunnel Park.

The women's 6,000-meter race will start the events at 11:00 a.m., followed by the men's 8,000-meter race at 12:00 p.m. The races will be followed by the alumni recognition and awards ceremony at approximately 1:15 p.m. where this year's award recipients will be announced and honored.

Admission to the 2022 MAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships is free. A limited amount of light gray short-sleeve ($18) and long-sleeve ($20) shirts will be available for sale on site. There will be no pre-sale of shirts ahead of the championships. Directions, parking and course maps are available at the championship central page. Live results will be available by Pioneer Timing. Final results, photos and video interviews will be posted on the championship central page after the conclusion of the championships.

The Monarch men were slated to finish ninth overall as they received 157 points in the pre-championship coaches' poll. Messiah took home the top spot in the men's standings with 288 points and 16 of the first-place votes. Host Lebanon Valley finished second in the poll with 249 points, while DeSales (243 points) and Misericordia (238 points) rounded out the top four predicted-finishers as Misericordia also received the other two possible first-place votes.

As of Tuesday, the King's men's squad is set to see 11 runners in Saturday's race. Sophomore Tyler Petty has posted the team's best time so far this season, recording a personal-best in an 8,000-meter race at the Lock Haven University Cross Country Invitational/Open on September 24, in 27:33.4. Several other Monarchs saw their season-best times recorded in that meet, including Owen Foytack with a time of 27:54.7, Logan Taylor in 28:37.6, and Travis Lane in 29:45.6.

In their most recent race of the 2022 season at the Wilkes Blue and Gold Invitational on October 14, five Monarchs ran their season-best times led by Casey Weaver's third-place finish in 28:04.0. Also with their season-best times in that meet were Will McCarroll in 29:15.7, JT Wysocki with a time of 30:13.5, Andrew Novrocki in 30:52.8, and Connor Foster with a time of 34:41.5.

Other top times from Monarchs competing this weekend include Garret Tomasek who posted a career-best time in an 8,000-meter race at the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen Cross Country Invitational on September 10 in 34:59.6, and Mitch Forgash comes in as a seasoned veteran in championship meets as his best 8,000-meter time came at the 2019 MAC Championships as he finished in 24:43.2.

On the women's side, King's was slated 10th overall with 145 points. Widener earned the top bid with 271 points and 16 of the 18 first-place votes, while Misericordia was not far behidn with 261 points and one of the other remaining first-place votes. Messiah (238 points) and host Lebanon Valley (237) round out the top four spots in the poll, while Alvernia earned the final first-place vote.

Zoe Tomko returns to the meet this year having earned All-MAC honors in her rookie season. Her best season time came at the Lock Haven University Invitational/Open on September 24 as she posted a time of 22:43.3. Also with a season-best time in that meet as fellow-sophomore Julia Johnson who finished in 24:39.1.

Other Monarch women's runners for Saturday include Nicole Zambetti who enters the weekend with a career-best time of 26:48.4 on a 6,000-meter course at the DeSales Cross Country Invitational in October 2021, as well as Laura Dainauski who's career-best race of 29:32.7 also came in October 2021 at the Lebanon Valley Last Chance Run FAst meet. Two Monarchs will make their championship debut this weekend as first years Samantha Adams and Cecilia Chipriano will make their first appearances at the MAC Championships and on a 6,000-meter course.

The MAC Pre-Championship Polls are below:

2022 MAC Men's Cross Country Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll:

Rank	Team	Points	(1st Place Votes)
1	Messiah	288	(16)
2	Lebanon Valley	249
3	DeSales	243
4	Misericordia	238	(2)
5	Stevens	237
6	Widener	211
7	York	193
8	Stevenson	160
9	King's	157
10	Alvernia	142
11	Arcadia	123
12	Wilkes	106
13	Hood	100
14	Eastern	92
15	Lycoming	70
16	Delaware Valley	62
17	FDU-Florham	44
18	Albright	39

2022 MAC Women's Cross Country Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll:

Rank	Team	Points	(1st Place Votes)
1	Widener	271	(16)
2	Misericordia	261	(1)
3	Messiah	238
4	Lebanon Valley	237
5	DeSales	234
6	Alvernia	192	(1)
7	Arcadia	186
8	Stevens	182
9	York	150
10	King's	145
11	Wilkes	116
12	Stevenson	112
13	Hood	107
14	Eastern	104
15	Lycoming	79
16	Delaware Valley	63
17	FDU-Florham	47
18	Albright	30