IMMACULATA, Pa. – Following a spectacular fall season which saw numerous team and individual wins, Immaculata University's men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete in the 2014 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship this Saturday, Nov. 1, at Core Creek Park in Langhorne, Pa. The men's 8K race will lead off the events at 11 a.m., and the women's 6K race will follow at noon.
 
Last year, Immaculata's men's team placed fifth overall, while Angel Chimal Rodriguez finished fourth to earn him First Team All-CSAC. The only other runner from last season's team who returns is Will Martin, who came in 36th at the 2013 championship.
 
The Mighty Macs' women's squad took sixth at last year's championship, and they return their top three runners from a season ago in Diana Cusick, who took 19th, Caroline Tarlo, who finished 43rd, and Emily Lowe, who placed 44th overall.
 
Both Immaculata squads have added several talented runners for the 2014 season, which has shown in the Mighty Macs' preparations during the last two months for the conference championship. Immaculata has competed in six different races along the way to see how they will stack up against the CSAC competition, capturing three team titles on the women's side and five individual top-finisher awards for the men's team.
 
"Both teams have had a successful season so far, and I am expecting big things," said head coach Alex Proctor. "The men's team has the ability of placing anywhere within the top four teams. If the race goes as plans Angel (Chimal Rodriguez) could win and Bobby (Rimkis) could be in the top 7. As for the women, the race is really wide open and if Diana (Cusick) runs well she has a shot of being First Team All-CSAC. In reality, Bridget (Doherty), Cayla (Rimkis), Mary Ellen (Grap), and Emily (Lowe) all have the ability to be within the top 20, and if they run like they can, we have a good shot of being one of the top 3 teams."
 
Immaculata's men's team is led by junior Angel Chimal Rodriguez and sophomore Bobby Rimkis, who hope to lead Immaculata to the team's best finish in a conference championship, while the women's squad looks to sophomore Diana Cusick to lead the young charge of newcomers into the top of the CSAC pack.
 
On the men's side, Immaculata has competed against every team in the CSAC during the season with only Marywood, Keystone and Cairn placing ahead of the Mighty Macs in the team standings. Saturday's championship meet should be another battle between these four teams as they challenge for the top positions in the team standings.
 
Rodriguez, who has been the Mighty Macs' top finisher at every meet this season, has five wins under his belt including at the Highlander Invitational, which will serve as the course for Saturday. Rimkis and Martin will need strong finishers as the Mighty Macs look to break into the top three in the team standings.
 
The Mighty Mac women, who have won three of their six races, have been competitive against their CSAC competition all season. Immaculata's three victories included Cabrini, Cairn, Cedar Crest, Neumann and Rosemont in the field. The Mighty Macs' toughest competition for the CSAC crown will come from Marywood and Gwynedd Mercy.
 
Part of the Mighty Macs' success this year has been Cusick, who has paced Immaculata in all six races. Cusick picked up her first collegiate victory last week at the Immaculata Invitational, and has placed in the top 10 four times. She had a 12th-place finish on the championship course earlier this season at the Highlander Invitational. Cusick is joined by returners Brittany Holland and Emily Lowe and newcomers Bridget Doherty, Cayla Rimkis, Mary Ellen Grap, who should combine to lead the Mighty Macs into the top portion of the championship field.
 
Following the conference championship, Immaculata will take a week off before competing in the NCAA Mideast Regional, which is being hosted by Dickinson.Bottom of Form