Inspired XC captain sets school record

Team competes in Little Three Championship, pays tribute to Conor Long

St. Bonaventure University hosted the 50th annual Little Three Cross Country Championship on Sept. 2 in honor of teammate Conor Long. The Hamburg high school graduate tragically passed away in a hiking accident this summer at Zoar Valley and was planning to transfer this fall.
The Little Three Cross Country Championship has been a tradition that’s been carried on through three western New York programs and represents the gathering of St. Bonaventure University, Canisius and Niagara.
Junior men’s cross country captain William Delaney explained the importance of the event.
“The Little Three Championship is almost a battle for the title of best in western New York. We are three small schools that want to make a name for ourselves.”
There was a tribute made to Conor Long in the opening ceremony of Saturday’s events, which his parents attended.
“Conor wanted to be a part of our program, and even though we never met him, he wanted the opportunity that we all have,” Delaney said. “It puts into perspective the things we might take for granted. I ran my heart out for Conor and those who can’t.”
“The tribute was very emotional to begin with, but the team had to regain focus and compete,” Delaney said, on behalf of the atmosphere that morning.
With Long in spirit, many of the runners felt compelled to give it their all.
“Everyone came out hungry from last season, so setting new PR’s was everyone’s overall goal for the weekend,” Delaney said.
Among the many talented runners, Delaney, became the championship’s standout.
At a 15:53 5K PR time, Delaney decimated his previous record of 16:21 from last year’s Little Three Cross Country Championship, with the inspiration of his teammates and family. This is the fastest 5K time in Bonaventure history.
Delaney expressed his satisfaction with his progress, saying, “Last year I was happy with my PR, but I knew if I prioritized my goals, I was going to achieve them.”
Originally from Summit, New Jersey, to the top of the Bonnies record books, Delaney has run a long way. Delaney has proven he is more than worthy of competing at this level when he shattered the university’s cross country record book.
Delaney had many setbacks to his career from the very beginning, but he has been able to push through them and raise the bar higher than ever before.
“I was hungry from last year, from not having been able to race much, so I came in with set goals for this season and got one of them so far and there’s still a few more to go,” Delaney said.
The Bonnies faced rivals Canisius and Niagara, where they took second place with the overall finish of 39 team points.
The Bonaventure team had set many goals for this event, among all the goals, Delaney’s, “personal goals were to break the school records and break up the top 5 scoring for Canisius.”
Men’s cross country runners: Ryan Chmiel, Nathan Prisella, George Laraia, Kyle Haller, Luke Gobel, Ryan Signorino and Christian Gravius, also set new personal records that placed the Bonnies comfortably in second place.
“As captain, I want my team to be seen as a Division I team,” said Delaney. “I want everyone’s main focus to be running, when we show up for the two hour practices, the only thing that should concern anyone is running and their performance.”
The St. Bonaventure men’s cross country program has progressed over the past few years, leading to stronger teams and a stronger program. This has lead to wins and many PR’s.
“We are representing a Division I program and we want to be seen as one, no matter how big or small we might be. Everyone is talented and here for a reason,” Delaney said.