STATEMENT FROM HEAD COACH ANDY RONAN

“The Men's and Women's Cross Country/Track & Field program strives to represent the University at the highest level possible. It is about developing quality student-athletes who will be successful in the classroom and in competition. In our history, the Cross teams have won 12 conference championships, highlighted most recently by our men’s program winning back to back CAA championships in 2022 and 2023. The Track & Field teams have produced a National Champion and numerous Men's & Women's NCAA qualifiers. This past Spring saw Carlos Santos making it to the NCAA Championship site at the University of Oregon. As it is for the other programs here at Stony Brook, the CAA is a step up in competition. We are not fearful of that, we believe we can rise to the level needed to be competitive, but it will take financial support from you, our Alumni, Donors, Friends and Families.”

WE ARE ON A PATH TO EXCELLENCE AND YOUR SUPPORT CAN GET US THERE! YOUR GIFT WILL HELP IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING:

Participating in more Tournaments and Invitationals - This would allow us to provide more competitive opportunities for our student-athletes to better prepare them to challenge for conference titles and NCAA berths (Individual and Team), but the costs associated with travel require additional financial support.

Student-Athlete Equipment (training clothing, training shoes, competition shoes) - Our training equipment goes through daily punishment so if we can invest more in this area it will enhance the student-athlete experience by keeping them healthy, allowing them to train to their peak performance and also create a stronger sense of connectivity between one another. 

Sports Science - We must provide alternative ways for athletes to supplement their training as well as provide a safer way to return from injury. We need to invest in recovery equipment, injury prevention technology, massage as well as better serve the nutritional needs of our Division I athletes. This is vital for us to not only sustain the competitive level we are at now, but also enhance it. All of our competitors have invested in these areas so it becomes a major part of the recruiting process when recruits are comparing programs.

Recruiting Operation - We need to increase the geographical area we cover to attract quality student-athletes. We also need to get more elite level runners on campus for official visits. The more resources we have to recruit the better we will be.

The “Cross Country/Track & Field Fund for Excellence” operates as a tax exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit entity. All donations are fully deductible to the extent allowed by applicable law.