WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's cross country team returns most of its lineup as the Presidents look to compete for the 2020-21 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship. W&J begins its season on Feb. 27 at the Saint Vincent Invitational.
                                                                                                                             
2019 Season Review: Despite losing three of the Presidents top finishers at the 2018 PAC Championships, the men's cross country team posted a runner-up finish at PACs in 2019.
 
Each of the Presidents' top five finishers at PACs earned All-PAC accolades.
 
Damon Gall and Paul Collier (Heath, Ohio/Heath) each earned All-PAC First Team status. Gall took fourth as the Presidents' top overall finisher at PACs, and Collier placed sixth and was named the PAC Newcomer of the Year.
 
Parker Laughlin (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Aden Dressler (Evans City, Pa./Butler) both earned spots on the All-PAC Second Team by finishing ninth and 10th, respectively.
 
Ben Heim (Washington, Pa./Washington) rounded out the top five for the Presidents with a 17th-place showing to collect All-PAC Honorable Mention applause.
 
The Presidents sent seven runners to the NCAA Mideast Regional and took 26th in the 51-team field.
 
Dressler was the Red and Black's top finisher at regionals, and he snagged U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors.
 
The Presidents' regular season was highlighted by a strong performance at Lehigh's Paul Short Run where four runners posted sub-27 minute 8K times and the Presidents finished 14th out of 43 teams.
 
"That feels like so long ago, wow!" said third-year head coach Derek Workman. "We didn't graduate anyone from that 2019 team, so we have a lot of experience on this current team. Looking back, we had a lot to be proud of. W&J has never had four finishers in the Top 10 at the PAC Championship Meet before, and that includes our 2018 team that won it. We had five guys that ran sub-27 in 2019, which was also a first in program history. I was really proud of our guys, they gave it everything they had that day."
 
Team Captains: Ben Heim and Parker Laughlin
 
Returners: The Presidents enter 2020 with four of their top five finishers at last fall's championships intact.
 
We have a strong group of returners from that 2019 team," said Workman. "I am excited to watch them (along with our newcomers) progress throughout the spring."
 
Heim was W&J's top finisher in each of W&J's first three meets, and despite missing the final two meets before PACs with an injury, he still earned All-PAC Honorable Mention status for the second-straight year. He vaulted into seventh All-Time on W&J Cross Country's Top 10 with a 26:16.70 8K at Lock Haven.
 
"Ben was having a heck of a season to before his injury," said Workman. "He gutted it out at the PAC Championship to help our men secure the runner-up finish. I would've loved to see him get through that season injury free, because I think he could've made some serious noise at the conference and regional level."
 
Laughlin served as a team captain last season and was among the Presidents' top three finishers in all seven meets last fall. He ran a personal-best 26:51.50 at the Paul Short Run and snagged All-PAC Second Team honors with a ninth-place showing at PACs.
 
"Consistency and hardworking, those are the first two words that come to mind when I think of Parker," said Workman. "He has been our team captain for several years now and his leadership is going to be missed greatly. He went from 39th at the PAC Championships in his first season to 9th in his second season, earning Second Team All-PAC honors. He had a great summer leading into the 2019 season (his second season), and it showed. He wanted to be good in both cross country and track, he set his goals and made it happen. Really really proud of that young man."
 
Collier and Dressler each finished in the Presidents' top five in every meet as freshmen in 2019. Collier's season was highlighted by a 26:47.6 at the Paul Short Run and his sixth-place finish at PACs. Dressler was W&J's top finisher in both of the Presidents' trips to Lehigh, including a 26:31.20 8K at the Paul Short Run, good for eighth in program history.
 
"The future is bright for those two young men," said Workman. "They both showed up big time for us at the PAC Championship Meet. They were the top two freshmen finishers in the race, and they both placed in the Top 10 overall. That doesn't happen every year!  I wish we could've gotten to see them compete in outdoor last season, because I think you would've been hearing those names all spring."
 
Junior Joey Artinger (Imperial Pa./West Allegheny) made four appearances and sophomore Nathan Millison (Salem, Ohio/South Range) made five appearances in 2019.

Newcomers: The Presidents welcome a four-man freshman class along with one transfer for 2020-21.
 
"I am excited about this group," said Workman. "There is some talent among these guys, and I am just excited to finally watch them compete and progress throughout the spring."
 
So. Nick Millison (Salem, Ohio/South Range)
Fr. Chase Grinnell (Fombell, Pa./Riverside)
Fr. Gaurav Singh (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby)
Fr. Clay Yeager (Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata)
Fr. Gannon Ziviello (Bedord, Pa./Bedford)

Looking At The Schedule: The 2020-21 cross country season will consist of two regular-season meets and a PAC Championship meet.
 
"I'm glad we were able to put together a schedule to let our kids compete," said Workman. "I have to be honest, I was a little skeptical about the weather in February and March, and still am to a certain extent. That said, we will keep hoping for the best because we can't control the weather. Hopefully the weather we've had in recent weeks is behind us, and we can see some solid growth and progression in the coming weeks."
 
The Presidents open the season Feb. 27 at Saint Vincent. Bethany College will host the final two meets with the Bethany Invitational on March 6 and the PAC Championships on March 20.
 
Saint Vincent won the 2019 PAC Championship with a team score of 25, followed by W&J at 46 points and Waynesburg with 70. The Bearcats graduated two All-PAC First Team runners, including 2019 PAC Runner of the Year Will Greene.
 
The PAC welcomes Franciscan into the fold as a full-time member competing in cross country in 2020. The Barons claimed their second-straight AMCC title last fall with the three top finisher at the AMCC championship meet. Franciscan took 13th at the Mideast Regional, ahead of all nine PAC schools at the regional.
 
Last Word: "Appreciate the opportunity we have in front of us!" said Workman. "Appreciate being able to practice and train with your teammates. Appreciate the memories you make with your teammates. Appreciate being able to compete again. Enjoy the process and have fun, because as we learned over the past year, it can get taken away in the blink of an eye."