STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Stony Brook men's cross country team open up the 2018 season Saturday when they host the Stony Brook Season Opener. 
 
Stony Brook will be joined by Fordham University, Sacred Heart University, Quinnipiac University, St. Francis College and Hunter College. The men will begin their season with the 6000m at 11:15 am. 
 
Men's Preview
 
Top Returners:
 
Cameron Avery 
 - 2nd America Championship 2017
- 1st team All Conference 2017
- 2nd America East Indoor 5k Championships
- NCAA First round qualifier in the 10000m 2018
 
Vann Moffett
 -1st team All Region 2017
-1st team All Conference 2017
 
Danny Connelly
- 2nd Team All Conference 2017
- America East Champion Indoor 5000m '18
 
Michael Watts
 - America East Champion Indoor 3000m '18
- 2nd IC4A Championships 3000m '18
 
Kyle Kelly  
- 2nd Team All Conference 2017
- 3rd Indoor Mile at AE Championships
 
The men's team have three goals for the season. First, to contend for the America East Championship, aiming to make it three in a row. Then, they challenge for a top three finish in the Regional Championships and contend for a spot at the NCAA Championships.
 
"We enter this season with high goals, those goals stem from what we achieved last fall and also the progress many of these athletes made on the track during the indoor and outdoor season this past year, said head coach Andy Ronan. "But we understand clearly that both these goals will be tough to achieve. We must get better every week through the season, and gain something from every race we compete in. The conference championship is going to be a dog fight with UMass Lowell on their home course, and we can't ignore the teams from Maine, Albany, New Hampshire. The region is one the strongest in the country, last year there was only 10 point between 3rd and 6th, so we will have to be at our best to achieve both our goals."
 
"Our first meet is one where we run less than the traditional distance, the men run 6000m, continued Ronan. "The men's team will be made up of returners Mike Watts, Kyle Kelly, Kevin Vinolas, Greg Mangarelli and freshmen Justin Kelly, Aiden Smyth, Robert Becker, Nick Cipolla, Noah Farrelly, Conor Malanaphy and Carlos Santos. Everyone is looking forward to getting the season started, there is a lot of excitement in the squad as we get the season under way."
 
Saturday marks the first of two home meets for the Seawolves as they will be home again on Sept. 8 to host the Wolfie Invitational. Stony Brook will continue their training with four away meets before they head down to Mine Falls Park, N.H, as New Hampshire hosts the America East Championships on Oct. 27.