The Bradley Men's Cross Country/Track and Field team is coming off its most successful season in decades and has a strong core returning for the 2014-15 season. In addition to the record-setting performances during the 2013-14 school year, the Braves will be bolstered by the recent announcement of the return of the men's indoor track team.
Head coach Marc Burns recently sat down with Dave Snell to recap last season and provide a glimpse at what to expect during the 2014-15 school year.
2013 Bradley Men's Cross Country Recap
• Bradley finished fourth at the MVC Cross Country Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, for the team's best performance at the league championship since 1989.
• The Braves were just seven points out of second place in the team standings, finishing seven points back of second-place finisher Loyola and two points behind Illinois State for third.
• On the heels of the impressive effort at the MVC Championship, Bradley went on to finish 13th at the NCAA Regional for the team's best NCAA Regional finish since 1996.
Cross Country Awards & Notes
• Seniors Eric Delvo and Chase Coffey both earned all-conference honors at the MVC Cross Country Championship in 2013 as juniors, giving the Braves two all-conference performers for the first time since 1987.
• Delvo finished seventh at the MVC meet to pace the Braves as he posted the best individual finish at the Valley Championship for a Bradley runner since 1984 in addition to posting the best time in school history at the league championship.
• Coffey crossed the line in 10th at the MVC Championship to earn all-league honors.
• Sophomore Patrick Campbell took home honorable mention all-conference recognition in addition to garnering the league's Freshman of the Year award after a 15th-place finish at the MVC Championship. Campbell posted the top finish by a Bradley freshman at the league championship since 1983.
• Delvo posted a career-best time at the NCAA Regional to pace the Braves with a 37th-place finish. His 10K time is second in school history behind Eric Huey's 1983 school record and Delvo's 37th-place finish was the best by a Bradley runner at the NCAA Regional since 1996.
Looking Ahead to 2014
• Bradley returns 13 of 16 letterwinners from last year's team, including a pair of all-conference performers. The Braves join Loyola and Southern Illinois as the only teams to return a pair of all-conference runners in 2014.
2014 Outdoor Track Recap
• Bradley finished eighth at the MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship with the team's 18 points ranking as the team's highest total since 1986.
• Eric Delvo and Chase Coffey finished second and third, respectively, in the steeplechase at the MVC Championship to both earn all-conference honors.
• The pair went on to compete in the steeplechase at the NCAA West Preliminary in Fayetteville, Ark., becoming the first Bradley men to compete in a NCAA Track & Field Championship preliminary since Jim Potter in the high jump back in the mid 1970's.
• Delvo broke the school record in the steeplechase at the NCAA Preliminary with a time of 8:50.43 to finish sixth in his heat and 14th overall.
• In addition to breaking the school mark in the steeplechase, Delvo broke the school record in the 1,500 meters in early April.
• Coffey set a pair of school records in the spring, turning in school record performances in both the 3,000 meters and 10,000 meters.
Looking Ahead to the 2015 Track Season
• The Braves lost just two individuals who lettered during the 2014 track season to graduation and will return All-MVC performers Chase Coffey and Eric Delvo.
• On June 6, 2014 Bradley announced the return of the men's indoor track & field team for the 2014-15 school year.
