On October 31, 2009, the Binghamton men's cross country team arrived in Burlington, Vermont for the start of the America East Cross Country Championships. Heading into the 8,000-meter race (8k), the program had never won a conference championship but the squad was confident that this could be the day.

For several years, the men's cross country program had been building towards this moment. Thanks to steady recruiting, a strong team chemistry and an outstanding work ethic, the Bearcats were now confident they could take their place at the top of the America East.

What occurred that day, however, surprised everyone – including the team. Binghamton won the title with one of the most dominant team performances in America East men's cross country history. It was a watershed moment for the Bearcats, who have followed up with a decade of outstanding individual and team accomplishments.

Ten years later, the runners from that 2009 championship team still have vivid memories of their triumphant race. What is just as memorable to them, however, is the long road they traveled to reach that goal.

Beginnings and Transitions

Founded as Triple Cities College in 1946, Binghamton University competed at the NCAA Division III level in intercollegiate athletics for its first three decades. In 1998, the university transitioned to the NCAA Division II level with the eventual goal of making the jump to NCAA Division I athletics in the fall of 2001. It was a time of transition and the program sought to identify both the coaches and athletes needed to succeed at the highest level of college sports.

To prepare for its move to the NCAA Division I level, Binghamton hired Annette Acuff in the summer of 2000 as its head cross country and assistant track & field coach. A former all-conference runner at Division I Oklahoma University, she arrived on campus having served as an assistant coach at Northern Colorado for two years.

"I was very fortunate to get this job right out of grad school," she said. "It was a great opportunity and fit for me with the school moving to Division I. I knew I was going to be growing a lot as a coach as the school was getting established at the Division I level."

In Acuff's first five years at Binghamton, the women's cross country team experienced some success, twice placing fourth at the America East Championship meet. The Bearcat men's program, however, was still adjusting to the NCAA Division I level. In cross country, up to 10 runners per team can compete at the America East meet. The top five runners on each team score points in a meet according to what place they are in. The team with the lowest combined score of its top five runners wins the meet. In 2004, however, Binghamton only had eight men on its active roster.

From 2001-05 the Bearcat men never finished higher than sixth at the conference meet. The low point came in 2005, when Binghamton hosted the conference meet for the first time in program history. The men's squad placed a program-worst eighth as a team in that race.

"The first several years were extremely challenging," Acuff said. "To be honest, it took the first part of my career here to really be confident in myself as a coach. Since I had never even been a full-time assistant before I came to Binghamton, it took me time to really understand everything associated with being a head coach."  

Building Blocks

It took time, but Acuff was finally able to bring in men's runners who shared her same vision for a championship-caliber program at Binghamton. One of them was Chris Gaube, from nearby Vestal High School. While he was not heavily recruited by other colleges, he immediately bought into Acuff's vision when he signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) in November 2005.

"Coach Acuff was instrumental in my recruitment to attend Binghamton University," he said. "When I arrived in 2006, we needed a bit of a culture change. I was determined to help in spearheading that. There was not a desire to be elite or to compete at a championship level. That changed quickly once Coach helped outline the vision for our success- which also included bringing in very talented recruits of high character who bought into what we were trying to build."

Gaube was part of a recruiting class that also included Craig Coon. The two of them along with their freshmen teammates and sophomore Adam Hill quickly developed the team chemistry needed for long-term success.

"When Chris and I arrived in 2006 along with Jack Carroll and Jon Peffley it felt like we connected quickly as friends as well as teammates," Coon said. "The friendships that we developed led us to acknowledging that we had similar goals which at the time seemed rather lofty. The mentality was contagious."

Despite the developing culture change, the Bearcats still lacked the depth and experience needed to compete with the top teams in the conference. In 2006, Binghamton placed eighth again at the conference meet, which was held at Maine. Watching the race that day, however, was Casey Quaglia. He was a high school senior from nearby Bangor who would later commit to Binghamton.

"I remember in 2006 before I arrived at Binghamton, the America East championships were in my hometown, so I went to the meet," Quaglia said. "I could see the drive in Craig Coon and Chris Gaube and knew Annette was going to turn that program around. They didn't hide where they were coming from or where they were heading. Annette used the past to learn from and grow and told me of her vision and goals. I bought into their vision pretty quickly."

Arriving with Quaglia in the fall of 2007 was another large class that included New York State standouts Adam Quinn and Andrew Ugolino. Like Quaglia, they too bought into the culture change that was in motion.

"I came to Binghamton with a large recruiting class and we all believed in Annette's program," Ugolino said. "We all supported and pushed one another. We wanted to bring this program to a higher level."

"When my class started at Binghamton, I felt all of us were on the same page," Quinn said. "Dedicated, driven, and ready to work hard to really place the program at the top of the conference. Guys like Chris Gaube, Adam Hill and Craig Coon deserve the credit for starting the culture change."

On the Rise

Gaube and Hill missed the 2007 season with injuries but Binghamton still managed to improve to sixth place at the America East meet. Following the fall semester, however, came a new runner who would prove huge in the program's rise to the top of the conference. His name was Erik van Ingen.

A 2007 graduate of nearby Marathon High School, van Ingen transferred to Binghamton from Canisius College in January 2008. He arrived with big goals, which included being one of the top runners in the nation. To reach those goals, he needed a coach who was a perfect fit. He found that in Acuff.

"Annette saw what worked best for me as an individual and was able to find an application that translated into some fast running," he said. "She has the athletes' best interests in mind and it shows in the performances she gets out of them."

A lesser known addition to the program in the summer of 2008 – but just as significant – was assistant coach Joe Pienta. A 2004 graduate of Albany, he was twice named all-conference in cross country. He then was a volunteer assistant coach for regionally-ranked Columbia before joining Acuff at Binghamton.

"Joe was an unsung hero in our championship run," Gaube said. "He was instrumental in helping us all believe we could compete at the highest level. He pushed us to think big and inspired us with his words and mentorship."

By the fall of 2008, Binghamton had the depth and talent to compete with the best teams in the conference. The Bearcats finished a program-best third at the America East meet as Gaube finished third, van Ingen was fourth and Quinn came in 13th.  Instead of joy, however, the Bearcats felt they could have done even more on that day.

"In 2008 we shocked a lot of people, but did not surprise ourselves," Gaube said. "In fact, we thought that we could've won it that year if everything went perfectly."

"For the team and for me personally, we were not short on motivation before and after that 2008 meet," van Ingen said. "But we needed to reevaluate things after that since we thought we could have won it. Personally, I tend not to nail my attempts the first time around. I'm always needing to reevaluate, tweak and develop my approach."

Before the next cross country season rolled around, Binghamton turned in some landmark performances during the 2008-09 track & field season. Gaube won the America East indoor 5,000 title and van Ingen clocked a program-record 4:01 mile.

"The springboard for me was running 4:01 in the mile during the (2009) indoor season," van Ingen said. "After reevaluating my approach, Annette and I found the right formula for success. Running a 4:01 was fast enough to where it let me know that I was close to where I wanted to be. All I really wanted was a shot."

The 2009 America East Outdoor Track & Field Championships were at Binghamton and van Ingen won the conference title in the 1,500. Watching in the stands that day was Jeff Martinez, a senior from nearby Johnson City High School. He had committed to Binghamton earlier in the year and was impressed by what his future teammates were doing.

"It just so happened that in the spring of 2009, right before I graduated high school, BU hosted the America East outdoor track championships," Martinez said. "At the time, the only people I knew were the other local high school runners -- Chris Gaube and Erik van Ingen. Right away, I saw the improvements both of them had made since high school which showed me that the program knew how to further develop an athlete ensuing that their potential is reached."

The Day of Reckoning

Entering the 2009 America East Championship meet, New Hampshire was the team to beat in men's cross country. The Wildcats were the three-time defending champions and had several of the top individual runners in the conference. Stony Brook, meanwhile, returned the past two individual conference champions.

A quiet storm, however, had been brewing in Binghamton. The Bearcats now had the talent, experience and chemistry to make a serious run at the title. The consensus was that Binghamton would continue to get better. But until October 31, 2009, no one off campus knew just how much they had improved.

Before the start of the 8,000-meter race, Binghamton had its team huddle. Not many of the runners recall what was said. But they remember the feeling among the group.

"We were very confident," Gaube said. "We believed in each other. Every member was so committed and made a lot of sacrifices to commit to our goal. Once it came time for the America Championship, we knew we were ready."

 "I don't remember the specifics," Martinez said. "But before our usual chant, the message was short and simple – 'stay focused, believe in the work you've put in, this is our time.' "

The plan was for van Ingen and Gaube to stay at the front of the pack and the rest of the team to finish as high as possible. Two miles into the race, everything was going smooth.

"About two miles into the race, our team still hung together as a large group near the front," Ugolino said. "It was electrifying to pass by the spectators knowing that we were in such a strong position going into the last half of the race."

As the race hit the final stretch, van Ingen and Gaube broke away from the rest of the field. They had been patient for most of the race and now proceeded to make a strong bid for the win.

"Chris and I had talked about working together late in the race," van Ingen said. "We wanted to conserve our efforts and let the ambitions of the other athletes do the work for us. The plan was to lay low for 5k and then I would start stretching it out over the next 2k. One of my strengths was to make a long sustained effort to the line and if I could use that to help separate Gaube from the rest of the pack, we would be in a strong position to win. With 1k to go, it was down to the two of us and Doug Maisey of Vermont. Up until this point, I was very calculated with my moves and how that set the tone for the rest of the team."

van Ingen went on to capture the individual title and Gaube finished right behind him in second place. What happened next, however, shocked everyone as Quaglia came in fourth place overall.

"I think I was definitely the wild card of the team," Quaglia said. "The initial plan was to hang back with the chase pack and let Erik and Chris be out front. But then I saw the lead pack start to make a break and I decided to go with them. I had an outside shot at a top-10 finish but everything needed to go perfectly for that to happen. I definitely remember being with the lead pack thinking 'Oh boy, what did I do.' "

When Quaglia crossed the finish line, he noticed the surprised looks on the faces of van Ingen and Gaube.

"I vividly remember the look of shock on Erik and Chris's faces," he said. "They had the 'What the heck are you doing finishing this far up?' look. I remember them saying 'Do you know who you just beat?!'  I was just thankful I didn't die and disappoint them."

From the finish line, van Ingen, Gaube and Quaglia were amazed at what they were seeing. Martinez finished in 10th place, followed by Quinn (13th), Ugolino (17th), freshman Evan Bloomberg (19th) and Coon (21st). There was little doubt which team would emerge as champions. Five years after only having eight runners on its active roster, Binghamton now had eight of the top 21 runners in the America East Conference.

"It was the seminal moment of my athletic career," Gaube said. "To see the guys all roll in shortly after us, we didn't even need to look at the scoring column. We were on cloud nine and were so proud of each other for what we had just achieved as a team."

"Casey Quaglia's performance that day was absolutely huge," Ugolino said "His fourth-place finish made it extremely hard for other teams to come anywhere close to being able to respond to van Ingen and Gaube's 1-2 finish."

When the final results were printed, Binghamton won by 30 points over second-place New Hampshire. The Bearcats scored just 30 points. In the 10 years since that race, no America East men's team has won by as big of a margin and scored fewer points.

"I was fairly confident we could win, but I certainly didn't expect us to run as well as we did that day," Acuff said. "Our game plan worked out almost perfectly, which rarely ever happens."

The Aftermath

Once it was clear that Binghamton would emerge as the champion, a memorable post-race event was set into motion. It involved a specialized chalk-like hydration drink called Endurox, which the team kept in a jug for after the race.

"I had challenged Casey Quaglia earlier in the week to place in the top 10 and gave him permission to dump the Endurox on me afterwards if he did," Acuff said. "I knew he had the potential and he loved the challenge."

Having finished fourth overall, Quaglia wasted no time in carrying out his part of the bargain. Before the race was officially over, he sprinted down the hill towards the finish line with the jug of Endurox and drenched Acuff.

"After we knew we won, I might have run the fastest I ran all day to our Powerade jug full of Endurox," he said. "I ran down the hill with it and showered Annette with Endurox. I probably owe her a new Nike hat! That picture and memory will never be forgotten though."

Back on the campus of Binghamton University, however, a more secretive event was being planned. Members of the rest of the track team were preparing to surprise the cross country runners when they returned later in the night. They would be at the Events Center ready to welcome home the champions.

By the time the bus did roll in around 10 p.m., the track team was joined by several other teams as well as athletic department administrators. Gaube led the team off the bus, hoisting the trophy to cheers from the crowd.

"It was awesome to come back and see such a huge crowd waiting for us," Quinn said. "It really goes to show you how close the team was and while a huge group traveled to Vermont to watch us, it was great to share the championship with everyone when we got home."

"It was pretty late in the evening and being a cross country team, I really did not expect any reception," Coon said. "The support the school and community showed was really special. Sharing the moment with others made the achievement much more special."

In the decade that has followed that championship day, Binghamton has grown accustomed to the success of its men's distance program. The Bearcats won their second America East cross country title in 2014 and were the runner up in both 2010 and 2013. At the 2018 conference meet, Binghamton was in the top three for the seventh time in 11 years.

Van Ingen went on to attain his greatest success in track & field. He was a four-time All-American and placed as high as fifth in the mile at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. Four years later, Jesse Garn was fourth in the 800 at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Van Ingen, Garn and Eric Holt – who graduated in 2018 – have all broken four minutes in the mile.

But in terms of a perfect meet, nothing since has topped the 2009 America East Cross Country Championship Meet. It was the day that everything truly went according to plan.

"I knew that we had the potential to run well that day," van Ingen said. "All the signs leading up to the day pointed to it. How the race was unfolding pointed to it. But the fact that every little piece landed in a best-case scenario is still hard to believe to this day."

"I knew after that race I may never witness another championship like it," Acuff said.

Looking Back

Today, the members of that 2009 cross country team are scattered across the nation. Several members of the championship team have continued to succeed in distance running. Pienta went on to Iona, where he is currently the head coach of one of the top distance programs in the Northeast Region. Coon has competed in the Boston Marathon mulitple times – finishing as high as 28th on 2012. All of their lives have changed but the memories of that 2009 race will last a lifetime.

"The 2009 team was the most focused group of individuals I have ever been a part of," Martinez said. "That entire year everyone had the America East meet highlighted in their minds.  Everything we did was to ensure we were ready to be at our best for that meet.  From workouts, to Sunday long runs, to team building pasta dinners; the conversations and general attitudes revolved around being ready for the conference meet."

"The thing I remember most is how close we all were and that hasn't changed," Quinn said. "I felt like we all had the same mindset going into collegiate running and to be surrounded by such a similar group only helped drive each other to become a better athlete. College is tough, being a three season Division I athlete is even harder, but to have as close of a group of friends that we had made it fun and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything."

As focused and close as that team was, their long journey to get to the top of the conference bring a feeling of even greater satisfaction.

"I think the proudest thing for me was how far we had come," Quaglia said. "I have been on a lot of sports teams and led a lot of professional teams and none will ever compare to that team. The dedication to each other was unmatched. The belief we had in one another was unreal. It was well worth all the blood, sweat and tears. And created some of the best memories that will last a lifetime."  
 
"We were fortunate enough to bring in a few men each year who had the leadership ability and potential to be competitive in the America East," Acuff said. "I am truly grateful to all the guys who have seen the potential for this program to be competitive in the America East and the Northeast Region.  There is no question that without all of their combined efforts we would not have accomplished what we have done here over the past decade. They remain the heart and soul of this program."

To the runners on the 2009 team, however, Acuff was and still is the heart and soul of the program. Over the past decade, she has been named the America East Coach of the Year twice (2009 and 2014) and Northeast Region Assistant Track Coach of the Year three times (2011, 2012 and 2015). Her belief in her runners and her system have taken the program to heights that many of her athletes feel they would not have reached without her.  

"Simply put, Coach Acuff is the catalyst for our program's continued success," Gaube said. "Leading up to our title in 2009 she instilled a fire and discipline in our guys. She helped us understand that winning and greatness is a process, and it requires commitment from everyone. Her ability to coach and mentor us all as individuals and as a team were notable. She continues to be a strong role model in my life as an adult."

"Binghamton cross country would have been nothing without Annette," Quaglia said. "She recruited 'diamonds in the rough' as she called them. Hard workers with unharnessed talent and loads of potential. Annette found ways to bring out the best in everyone on our team. It was and still is incredible."