PSAC Preview (courtesy of Kutztown)

EAST STROUDSBURG - Senior Iuri Pinto and sophomore Niki Pasquarella, the Warriors' top two runners all season, lead East Stroudsburg University into the 2007 PSAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Kutztown. The women's 6k race will begin at 10 a.m., and the men's 8k race will go off at 11 a.m.

Pinto was eighth last fall and will aim for a top-six finish on Saturday, according to head coach Joe Koch. The men's field includes Jeff Weiss of Slippery Rock, who was second in Division II in 2006, and three other returning All-American runners.

Pinto has placed in the top 10 of each meet he has competed in this season. He was third (of 63) at the Lehigh Valley Championships, fourth (of 239) at the NYU Invitational, second (of 131) at the Don Cathcart Invitational, and placed ninth (of 141) and set the ESU course record two weeks ago at the Lafayette Invitational.

Koch will be looking for the rest of the pack to finish in the 25th through 50th spots, which would give the Warriors a shot at the top five along with traditional contenders Slippery Rock, Edinboro and Lock Haven. The ESU men finished sixth last season.

Sophomore Ryan Doyle was 37th in last year's PSAC Championships and was the only freshman to qualify for the conference meet in the 5,000 during the outdoor season last spring.

Four freshmen who will be running in their first PSAC Championship are expected to contend for spots among the top five ESU runners. Doug Weeks was the Warriors' top finisher at the Nevins Invitational last weekend and Matt Cook, Jim Norley and Chris Zadroga have all run well this fall. Senior Matt Frable also has an opportunity to contribute with a strong effort on Saturday.

Pasquarella, seniors Amber Horn and Lori Johanson and junior Amanda Bradbury will be competing for places in the top 20 for the ESU women, which would give them All-PSAC status.

Horn and Johanson finished first and second at the Nevins Invitational last weekend, and Johanson was 24th at last year's PSAC Championships. She was also ESU's top finisher at the NCAA Regionals, placing 31st. Bradbury placed in the top 60 in both the PSAC Championships and the NCAA Regionals last fall.

Pasquarella has paced the Warriors in all four of their meets this season, placing fifth (of 105) at the Don Cathcart Invitational and seventh (of 209) at the NYU Invitational in September.

As a team, ESU should be the most improved squad in the conference after placing in a tie for ninth in 2006. Strong showings from the top four runners, including one or more All-PSAC performances, will give the Warriors an opportunity to place in the top five if a fifth runner emerges to close the gap. Edinboro, Kutztown and Bloomsburg are expected to be the top teams in the conference.