The 2007 Rider University cross country season came to an end Saturday, for the men at the ICAAAA Championships and for the women at the ECAC Championships at Van Cortlandt Park. “Coming off the big effort we had last week, we responded pretty well,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer. “It is difficult to have two big weeks in a row, especially with such a young group, The kids responded real well.”

Both the Rider University men’s and women’s teams enjoyed their highest finishes ever at the NCAA Division I Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Championships, hosted by Lehigh University Saturday.

John Smith of the men’s cross country team, and Priscilla Modrov of the women’s swimming & diving team were named the Rider University Athletes of the Month for October.

The Rider men placed third and the women seventh at the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships, held Friday at Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, NY.  “I thought the men’s team ran great,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer. “We really stepped up and ran to our potential. The guys executed the race-plan really well. The men did well up and down the board.”

The Rider men placed 17th of 20 and the Rider women were 25th of 25 teams at the high-powered Penn State National Invite Friday. “We’re a very young team and this is all a part of the development process,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer.

The Rider men placed 38th of 41 teams and the Rider women were 44th of 47 at the 34th Brooks Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University Friday. “Today's results were not indicative of the team that we have this year,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer. “We're capable of a lot more. We're a much better team than this, that's why this is so disappointing.”

Both the Rider University men’s and women’s cross country teams placed first of four at the Bronc Invitational Saturday morning. “It was great today,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer. “We weren’t really expecting that from the women’s side, but the men were talking about coming together and making a statement and today we did that.”

The Broncs began the 2007 season at the Fordham Invitational, held at Van Cortlandt State Park, with the men finishing seventh of 22 teams and the women placing 11th of 23. “Overall the experience and the depth of the teams showed,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer. “We ran solid enough to place high. Once we get some better weather and sharpen up some things we are definitely going to have a great opportunity to have a great team this year.”