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Grantham, PA – The Middle Atlantic Conference is set to host the 2014 Cross Championships this Saturday, and both the Messiah men and women are poised to compete for their respective conference titles.
 
Both Falcons' teams earned fourth place last season in the conference event, which was hosted by DeSales University.
 
This year's event will be hosted by Lebanon Valley College at Union Canal Tunnel Park. The Dutchmen hosted an Invitational on the course earlier this season (Sept. 4), with both the Messiah men and the Lebanon Valley women taking first, respectively.
 
Tyler Sensenig, Jared Schatz, and Cameron Shirk have consistently been top performers for the Falcons this season, with Phil Headland, Nathaniel Pardoe, and Christopher Scheib close after. Schatz was All-MAC last season after a finishing 10th, while Pardoe was just short of a Second Team honor at 22nd.
 
Last season, Widener won the MAC with DeSales 12 points behind in second place. Former conference member Elizabethtown was third, so Messiah is surely poised to see their depth of talent push for the conference crown.
 
On the women's side, two-time defending champion Kelsey Patrick leads the Dutchmen into the weekend. As a team the Dutchmen finished second last year to Elizabethtown.
 
Alissa Rogers (12th) and Tasha Becker (14th) were both Second Team All-MAC last year and they lead the Falcons once again. First year runners Elizabeth Lelonek and Holly Eliason have been consistent scorers this season, as has been transfer Natalie Ross and senior Leah Novak.
 
As evidenced by their results this season, both the men and women have a depth of runners that can challenge for placing, something that should enable them to chase the top spots in the MAC.
 
The men's race will start at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, with the women to follow at 12:00 noon.
 

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