BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men's and women's cross country teams will kick off the season for all sports on Friday at the FAU Cross Country Invitational on the Owls' short course in South County Regional Park. Moving past some uncertainty or the Sharks and the meet surrounding inbound Hurricane Dorian, both will remain on schedule to open the 2019 season.
 
Nearly an inversion of how the two rosters were composed heading into last year, the Friday exhibition will provide a solid cross-divisional warm-up to the 2019 campaign for a Sharks squad that will introduce not just four men's newcomers, but 10 first-time women's runners. In 2018, it was the men's squad debuting 11 runners.
 
The Sharks' top two proven performers heading into 2019 are junior Michelle Bauer and sophomore Carli Etrick. Coming out of Saint Marys, Pa., Bauer took the reins of the program two years ago, leading the Sharks in every race of her 2017 rookie year and marking a career-best 5k of 19:20.2 that season at FAU. Crossing as first or second NSU scorer in five 2018 meets, Bauer finished 30th at the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championships last fall, just behind teammate Etrick in a team-best 26th place. A Melbourne, Fla. native, Etrick delivered her season's best of 19:20.4 at the Mountain Dew Gator Cross Country Invitational and came in as the top NSU scorer in four meets during a phenomenal rookie season.

Freshman Sophia Leto was an accomplished performer in Mount Orab, Ohio, making three District appearances and two at Regionals as the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference runner-up in her final two seasons. Coming from the west side of the Sunshine State and Spring Hill, Fla., classmate Leah Marville wrapped her career in the FACA Senior All-Star Classic and earned Hernando County Athlete of the Year honors – also a three-time District and Regional performer. Also joining the Sharks in her first year out of Cranberry Township, Pa., freshman Lauren Breski looks to be an early scorer for NSU. Breski reached the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Championships in both of her cross country seasons for Seneca Valley High School.

Also new to the Sharks women's squad in 2019 are Christina Adams (Wildcrest, N.J.), Isabella Aristizabal (Davie, Fla.), Isabella Caldwell (West Hempstead, N.Y.), Megan Fleming (Des Moines, Iowa), Grace Moriarty (Loveland, Ohio) and Aliza Richard (Burrillville, R.I.) – along with redshirt Ashley Holt (Fredonia, N.Y.), who did not compete last season. Also returning for the Sharks are sophomore Anna Baretincic (Norwich, Conn.), Abigail Kohlmeier (Cape Coral, Fla.) and senior Morgan Will (Virginia Beach, Va.) returns to the course for the first time since 2016.
 
The Sharks men will open 2019 without their top scorers from a year ago – graduated senior Costa Stathis and transfer Michael Parry. However, NSU also welcomes four consistent runners back for the new year. Pacing the returning group, Jackson, N.J. sophomore Daniel Duffy scored in all seven 2018 races and produced a season-best 27:01.9 at the Disney Cross Country Invitational in Orlando. During the track season, Duffy earned the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Award. Clearwater, Fla. sophomore Cormac Gilmore also returns after scoring each time out on the course last year. One wild card back on the team after missing last season is second-year Inigo Cillero out of Leioa, Spain, who holds a Regional Record in the 1500m U18 in Northern Spain.

New to the squad, freshmen Jack Hayes (St. Augustine, Fla.) and Trey May (Orlando, Fla.) are cross country specialists and projected to deliver an immediate impact for the Sharks. Hayes made four Regional appearances and one State Championship race, finishing in the top 15 of the FHSAA 3A District 4 meet in each of his last two seasons at St. Augustine High School. Meanwhile, May finished second at last season's Disney Invitational and garnered the FHSAA 4A District 3 title, going on to a fifth-place finish at the FHSAA 4A Region 1 Championships.
 
Also new to the team after missing last season, Andrew Swanson (Bakersfield, Calif.) will make his first appearance for the Sharks. Senior Matt Taddeo (Havertown, Pa.) returns from a redshirt season and joins senior Joel Lacy (Plantation, Fla.) and sophomore Quynlan Duffy (Ripon, Wisc.) as returners for the squad.
 
After competing Friday in Boca Raton, depending on any adjustments for campus closures surrounding Hurricane Dorian, the Sharks are scheduled to race on Sept. 7 at the Florida Tech Invitational in Melbourne, Fla.