Preseason Preview: Cross Country
Preseason Preview: Cross Country
Canandaigua, N.Y. – The FLCC cross country team went out with a bang to end the 2021 Fall season. The season was highlighted by a string of impressive performances from student-athlete Leah Lloyd (Macedon, N.Y./ Palmyra-Macedon). Lloyd finished her season followed by a 1st-place finish at the Mid-State Athletic Conference (MSAC) Championship, 1st-place at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region III Championship, and a 3rd-place finish at the NJCAA Division III National Championships, and an All-American selection.
On the men's side, Giovanni Ventura (Geneva, N.Y./ Geneva) led the team during the season, completing a 12th-place finish at the NJCAA Region III Championship. Freshman John "JT" Zimmerman (Middlesex, N.Y./ Marcus Whitman) followed closely behind, earning a 14th place finish at regionals.
Overall, the Lakers saw three student-athletes move on to compete at NCAA institutions including….
Giovanni Ventura (Geneva, N.Y./ Geneva) – Buffalo State (D3)
Kyle Green (Palmyra, N.Y./ Palmyra-Macedon) – Potential walk-on at D3
Elizabeth Rose (Argola, N.Y./ Lake Shore) – University of Buffalo (D1)
Key Returners
On both the men's and women's sides, the Lakers will return several student-athletes whom head coach Jayden Donahue will look to, to provide leadership, "our returners have incredible work ethics and I know they will look to motivate those incoming student-athletes to step up and do their best", Donahue stated when asked about his returning Sophomores.
Men's
John "JT" Zimmerman (Middlesex, N.Y./ Marcus Whitman)
Jacob DiGiovanni
Jake Williams
Memphis Lohnes (Rushville, N.Y./ Marcus Whitman)
Cameron Rynders
Women's
Leah Lloyd (Macedon, N.Y./ Palmyra-Macedon)
Incoming Freshman
Men's
Tim Hanson - Marcus Whitman
Michael Oberdorf - Newark
Aidan Lanse - Newark
Jackson McManus – Greece Arcadia
Noah Mattison – Marion
Jeffrey Schuldt – Lyons
Nathan Weed – Horseheads
Women's
Morgan Cheney – Avoca/Prattsburgh
Mackenzie Ferris – Harley Allendale-Columbia
Charlotte Manfre – Bloomfield/Naples
Olivia Yancy – Mynderse Academy
Jennavieve Schrage – Wayne
Cierra Huck – Wayne
The Lakers enter 2022 with one of the largest squads for both the men's and women's teams in several years. Head coach Jayden Donahue expressed his excitement after a strong recruiting season, "we are going to have a solid top-5, our goal is to contend for a regional championship", Donahue added, "we are really focused on our team comradery this offseason, it played a big role in achieving a regional championship in track and field this past Spring on the men's side", he explained.
Donahue expressed the importance of team chemistry and comradery, "just a couple of weeks ago we brought the team together for a team activity; we want to create that comradery early on and bring that into our first meet of the season", he explained.
The Lakers competed primarily at meets that included various NCAA D1, D2, and D3 schools, and found success against the competition in 2021. Donahue expressed his excitement for the competition, "I am interested in seeing how some of our athletes can compete at those meets, especially some of our returners who I know will make a big impact team-wise", Donahue explained.
The Lakers in 2022 will feature multiple local student-athletes from Sections V and IV. Coach Donahue added, "we have two home meets, and it would be great to have locals come out, it is a great opportunity to show what those local talents are doing now", he explained. Finger Lakes Community College will host the annual Bruce Bridgeman Invitational on September 17, 2022, along with the NJCAA Region III Championship on October 22nd, 2022 where Donahue and the Lakers will look to make a statement on their home course.
The team will also be host to the first annual Lakers 5K Classic on Saturday, October 1, 2022. The 5K will support the Lakers cross country and track & field teams, you can register today and find more information by visiting: https://flccathletics.com/general/2022-23/releases/20220815ck9nqt
To keep up with Finger Lakes Community College Athletics, visit flccathletics.com for all your scores, stories, photos, and more. Follow the Lakers on social media @flccathletics on Facebook and Twitter, and @flcclakers on Instagram.