2009 was an outstanding year for Maritime Cross Country. Placing five runners in the top 14 at the Skyline Conference meet, the men ran their best race of the year when it counted the most and finished a strong conference runner-up with the youngest team. Maritime College was the only school to place each of its top five runners on the All-Conference team: Sam Rainard, Luke Milano, Gabriel Rosa, Matt Taraboletti, and Gannon O’Brien.
On the women’s side, Laura Wasson was also named to the All-Conference team when she led the women to a fifth place finish in the conference.
Cross Country is a team sport marked by discipline, physical stamina, and heart and the 2009 team certainly epitomized these traits. Each team member ran over 600 miles during the season’s 11 weeks. The effort paid off with a men’s regular season record of 81-15, including victories in the Baruch and Hunter Invitationals and second place finishes in the York and St. Joseph’s Invitationals. Additionally, the harriers won the conference Sportsmanship Award for both the men and women as voted on by the other conference schools. Lee Shoemaker, Gannon O’Brien, Vince Curcio, Sam Rainard, Luke Milano, Gabriel Rosa, Matt Taraboletti, Tom Moskowitz, Kevin Regan, Pat Evans, Hammed Massaley, Kyle LaRose, Leonard Efros, Eddie Albrecht, Matt Berntson, Ryan Knorr, Laura Wasson, Kristen Saporito, Alexandra Carela, and Danielle Roberts will be forever etched as one of Maritime’s best teams.