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The Syracuse Orange cross-country teams are now two weeks into their season and our profiles keep rolling on. Today, we’re going to look at another member of the talented freshmen class for the women, McKenzie Altmayer, and graduate transfer from the Virginia Cavaliers, Adam Visokay.
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Name: McKenzie Altmayer
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Geneva, Ill
High School: Geneva
2015 Performances:
7th place in Illinois 3A State Meet.
Margo Malone says:
McKenzie is a great addition to the team. Her love for the sport is evident in her positive attitude. Even though she is only a freshman, she sets the tone and keeps the team accountable to always give their best.
Kevin’s Preview:
McKenzie’s wasted no time making a strong impression in a Syracuse uniform. She was 4th on the team at Colgate and followed that up by placing 2nd for the Orange at Penn State. She was a basketball player for part of her high school career, so with continued year-round training she could be in for a bright future. It will be interesting to see if this early success will spark confidence as the Orange step up in competition from here on.
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Name: Adam Visokay
Year: Graduate Student
Hometown: Albemarle, VA
Transfer from Virginia
2015 Performances
NCAA Championships: 222nd place
NCAA Southeast Regional: 28th place
ACC Championships: 51st place
Wisconsin Meet of Champions: 42nd place
Panorama Farms Invitational: 26th place
Martin Hehir Says:
I had the pleasure of knowing and racing Adam all throughout his 4 years at UVA. He's got a heart of gold and Syracuse couldn't be happier having someone of his caliber competing with the team while he earns his masters degree. He's already real comfortable wearing orange and will undoubtedly represent his new uniform well.
Kevin’s Preview:
Adam didn’t kick off his Syracuse career with an impressive performance, but he’s got some solid credentials (sub 8:00 3k, 14:07 5k) and experience at the NCAA level. Last year he would have been in SU’s top 7 at several meets, including the ACC Championships, which is what the team would welcome again this year. As a graduate student, he’s being looked at to provide depth and a steady presence for the SU roster. It will be interesting to watch how he performs at the next couple of meets, but Adam should allow for the Syracuse coaches to continue to bring along their younger runners without thrusting them into pressure situations too soon.
If you missed any of the previous previews, you can catch up here:
Sydney Leiher and Justyn Knight
Shannon Malone and Colin Bennie