Rutherford/Lodi, NJ—In its inaugural season, the Felician College Men’s Cross Country team has been named All Conference Team after winning the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship this past Saturday, November 3. With nine Felician College runners finishing in the top ten, the athletes were named to the All Conference Team, recognizing them as the best in the Conference. Ricky Pfeifer, a Felician College freshman, was the Individual Conference Champion and was named MVP of the meet. Coach Bob Symons was named CACC Coach of the Year. Seeded first going in, the Golden Falcons competed against the 48 runners making up the six teams, and completed the tournament with a total 16 points—one point shy of a perfect score of 15. The next closest competitor had 65 points.

By finishing first, the Golden Falcons will advance to the national Conference championship to be held at the University of Wisconsin Parkside on Saturday, November 14. They will compete against 28 teams from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). “This will be our first time out there, and finishing in the top 15 is a realistic goal for us,” said Coach Symons who also serves as Athletic Director at Felician College.

Felician College’s women’s cross country team earned third place in the regional championship, accomplishing their goal going in. “They ran well and it was quite an accomplishment for this new team,” said Symons noting that the runners improved on their best times.

About Coach Symons…
Hired in 1993 by Felician College to start an athletic program, Bob Symons has grown athletics from a one-sport program, to an eight-team program. Coach Symons brings 20 years of coaching and Athletic Administration to the program having coached a three-time Olympic medalist (one gold, two silvers), five National Champions and over 40 All American Cross Country and Track Athletes. Bob Symons received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Sociology from William Jewell College (1977) and a Masters degree in Sports Psychology and Administration from the University of Kansas (1980).

Felician College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division II, and the Golden Falcons compete in baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, cross-country and track. A coeducational, liberal arts, Catholic college, Felician College was founded in the Franciscan tradition by the Felician Sisters in 1942. Located on two campuses in Lodi and Rutherford, NJ, Felician College enrolls 1500 students in 40 undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences, health sciences, and teacher education.