WESTON, Mass. – For those driving onto the Regis College campus in the morning over the past week or so, the Pride cross country team may have passed by them during one of their workouts in preparation for the 2021 competition season.

Ben Colello begins his first year as the head coach of the cross country program with several veterans leading the way along with newcomers aiming to make an immediate impact. The team has been focused on both their running form and their endurance as the first meet approaches this Friday, Sept. 3.

"I have been very much looking forward to getting the whole squad back together and getting back to a regular training and competition schedule," Colello said. "If they put the work in, our squad is going to be able to do a lot of great things."

Senior captain Ashleigh Kelley (Stoneham, Mass.) has posted top-16 performances at both Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships she has competed in. Fellow seniors Erin Kelley (Stoneham, Mass.) and Lizzy Melvin (Southington, Conn.) will also provide collegiate competition experience to the squad.

The men's team includes four runners who participated in the 2019 GNAC Championships, led by senior captain Gustavo Novelle-Ruddy (Boston, Mass.). Juniors Michael Carroll (Lynn, Mass.), AJ Corso (Broad Brook, Conn.), and Ben O'Neal (New Britain, Conn.) also ran in the conference meet two years ago, but both the men and the women will look to the newcomers to contribute to the team's overall success.

"We have a lot of talent coming in, and we're going to have some major contributors among the underclassmen," continued Colello.

Regis opens the 2021 competition schedule this Friday, Sept. 3, at the Wellesley Invitational at Nehoiden Golf Club in Wellesley, Mass., starting at 6 p.m. The 2021 GNAC Cross Country Championship will be held at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass., Saturday afternoon, Oct. 30, with Franklin Park also the host site for the NCAA New England Regional two weeks later.