LOUDONVILLE – The Siena Cross Country and Track & Field program and head coach John Kenworthy are excited to announce the addition of eight signees, four men and four women, for their upcoming 2023 incoming class. Each student-athlete has signed their national letter of intent, and will be entering Siena in the fall of 2019.

"I'm thrilled with the four young men and four young women we've signed in the early parts of this recruiting cycle," said Kenworthy. "Every one of these student-athletes will bring so much to the table, both on race day and in our daily practices."

Peter Alden has made a name for himself in Vermont cross country ranks by finishing 3rd at the State Cross Country Championship twice (2017 & 2018) while leading his Essex Regional High School team to consecutive state titles in that same two year stretch. The Essex, VT resident has shown he can make an impact on the larger stages as well, as he finished 22nd at the 2018 New England Cross Country Championships while helping his team to a top 10 finish.

Coach Kenworthy said on signing Alden: "I love Peter's resume because everywhere you look he's showing he can perform at his best on the most important days of the year. Not to mention, he's been carrying one of Vermont's best XC programs to the state championship podium for years now. That experience will go a long way at Siena, and it's one of the reasons I'm excited to have Peter in green and gold."
Alden recently ran a personal best of 9:44.75 for 2 miles at the Dartmouth Relays.

Nate Poirier is a Syracuse, NY native who has started off his 2019 indoor campaign on a hot streak, winning races at three of his first four meets this season.

"Nate is a great culture guy who has honed his leadership skills while leading the Cicero-North Syracuse High School team, and we believe he will fit our program's goals perfectly. He is going to really develop and flourish in a college environment," Coach Kenworthy stated. "I see Nate performing extremely well at 8km cross country, and thriving at longer distances on the track, neither of which he has had the chance to compete in during high school. He is a very good steeplechaser and I think we will continue to develop that race in his time at Siena as well."

Poirier is the Section III Class A 3km Steeplechase Champion from 2018, and finished 3rd at the Section III Class A Championship for 1600m in 2018. He has a great range of track personal bests, running 2:38.76 for 1000m, 4:33.42 for 1600m, 10:00.76 for 3200m, and 9:58.73 for 3km steeplechase.

Matt LaFramboise attends Greece-Arcadia High School and is from Rochester, NY. He recently finished 3rd at the Section V Class B XC Championships, which qualified him for the New York State Championships, where he finished 43rd. The 2018 cross country season also saw him pick up a race victory at the prestigious McQuaid Invitational where he won the Varsity Unseeded AA Race.

"Matt has showed he can do it all, from cross country to any distance on the track, and his range is something that really drew us to him in the recruiting process," added Kenworthy. "This fall was definitely a big step for him as an XC runner, and that backed up his already impressive track resume. I think that momentum will carry very well into his freshman year at Siena. I'm not sure yet what his best events will eventually be, but the tools he brings into the program make me confident he'll be successful at whichever event he ends up focusing on."

On the track, LaFramboise is the 2018 Section V Class B 1000m Champion, and finished 3rd at the 2018 Outdoor Class B Section V Championships over 800m. He has run 2:36.88 for 1000m, 4:26.78 for 1600m, and 9:56.60 for 3200m.

Aidan Gillooley comes to Siena holding the 15th fastest time ever run at the famous Saratoga State Park course (15:01.2). From Glenville, NY, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School senior is a pivotal member of their national calibur cross country program. In his career, Gillooley has finished top 4 at the New York State Class B XC Championships twice (3rd, 2017; 4th, 2018), and contributed to BH-BL's four Section II Class B XC Championship titles (2015-2018), two New York State Class B State Championship titles (2017, 2018), as well as a 2017 NY Federation Championship win. On the track Gillooley has run 9:31.27 for 3200m and 4:29.75 for the mile, and is a 2018 Outdoor All-American by way of his team's 2nd place 4xMile Relay finish at the 2018 New Balance Outdoor National Championships.

"Aidan will bring an immediate impact to our program next year as we look to fill some significant holes in both performance and leadership from our graduating seniors," Kenworthy commented. "Aidan's experience at big-time national competitions, such as qualifying for the 2018 Nike Cross Nationals, makes him a seasoned competitor and somebody I know can step up into our scoring group right away."

Delia McDade Clay is a Brighton High School senior from Rochester, NY who recently capped off a fall cross country campaign to remember. She was 2nd at the 2018 Monroe County Championships, 3rd at the Section V Class A Championships, and finished 22nd at the New York State Class A Championship as well. On the track, McDade Clay has accumulated a lengthy resume highlighted by winning the Section V Class A Championship over 1500m in 2018, a victory at the 2018 Section V State Qualifier for 3km, and finishing 12th in the Emerging Elite heat of the 2018 New Balance Outdoor National 2-mile Championship. She has run 4:45.16 for 1500m, and 10:18.22 for 3km on the track.

 "Delia really impressed me as we got to know her during her college search. She has made an immediate impact on her high school cross country program in just a couple of years, as she converted from soccer part way through high school," said Kenworthy. "She understands the importance of leadership and culture, and is a natural fit into the Siena program. It was clear very early on that our values were a perfect match to hers and I'm very confident she's going to make a big impact in the MAAC and beyond while she's a Saint."

Elaine Atanasova comes to Loudonville from nearby Delanson, NY, and is one of the most decorated small school runners in New York.

"I know that what we've seen from Elaine throughout her high school career is just the tip of the iceberg." Coach Kenworthy commented. "Her consistency and dominance over the last five years is impressive and I know we will be able to build that to the next level once we get her on campus. Elaine's strengths will shine in the longer distances on the track, and she will make a huge impact in cross country during the fall as well."

Atanasova has finished in the top five at the Section II Cross Country Championship each of the last five years, capping off her career with a second place at the 2018 Class D Championship. She is a five time New York State Cross Country Championship qualifier (2014-2018) for Duanesburg High School, and her highest State Championship finishes were in 2015 (Class D) and 2017 (Class C) where she finished in 13th place. As a track runner, she has won three Section II Group 5 Championships; in 2017 she won the 3km title, and in 2018 she was victorious in both the 3km and the 2km steeplechase at the championship meet. To cap offer her most recent track campaign in 2018, she finished 2nd at the Section II State Qualifier meet in the 3km. Her personal best times are 5:02.04 for 1500m, 10:45.60 for 3km, and 7:42.19 for the 2km steeplechase.

Sydney Levison joins the Saints from Norwood-Norfolk High School as a five-time New York State Championships qualifier in cross country, highlighted by top ten Class D finishes in 2016 (5th) and 2017 (8th). The Norwood, NY resident has amassed a powerful resume in both cross country and track.

"I can't wait to get Sydney to campus in the fall. She is a gritty and tough cross country specialist with a ton of big meet experience and a background full of success at Norwood-Norfolk." noted Kenworthy. "She has consistently brought her best races to the biggest stages through high school, and I certainly welcome a continuation of that habit for her as a Saint!"

Levison has finished in the top three of the Section VII Championships in cross country an impressive three times, and brought her team to the State Cross Country championships every year of her career. She has won sectional titles on the track in the 2km steeplechase and over the 3km distance as well. She has run 10:57.00 for 3km, and 7:27.64 for 2km steeplechase.

Sophia Vinciguerra comes to campus from Syracuse, NY as a key member of a successful Jamesville-Dewitt High School program. A three time New York State Championship Qualifier in Class B, she has finished as high as 21st place (2017) at the Championship meet. She has been in the top five of the Section III Class B cross country Championships three times, all of which set up her State Championship successes.

Kenworthy said, "Sophia is a great fit for our program at Siena. She is a consistent, savvy, and tough cross country racer with a huge background of championship level success. She has also run some great track races and has shown her range will be an asset for the program. I know there is plenty more for her in the future."

In the track seasons, Vinciguerra has wins at the 2018 SCAC Empire League Championship over 1500m, as well as two 2018 sectional titles for Section III Class B at 1500m and 1000m distances. She has run 1500m in 4:54.58, and covered a full Mile in 5:16.38.

Kenworthy added, "We graduate a transformational group of seniors this spring, but these high school seniors are poised to fill those gaps over their careers and help our program continue to grow. This group has an amazing balance of big time competitive experience, exceptional times and performances, stellar academics, and an overall amazing attention to detail and values. All of these things are what make Siena Cross Country runners great during their Saints careers, and I'm so happy that we've got eight incredible young people coming to campus in the fall of 2019 that I believe in and that can continue to carry that tradition onwards."

In addition, the Saints have also announced the addition of walk-on Christopher Adamski for the fall of 2019 as well. The Danbury, CT native ran at Danbury High School, and plans on attending Siena in the fall.