New England’s top ranked Division III cross country team is about to return to the track. The Brandeis men’s cross country team was named the region’s best in a preseason poll, conducted by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, the Judges were ranked fourth in New England.

“We hope to challenge for [a] regional title and be one of the top teams in the country in 2010” head coach John Evans wrote in an e-mail to The Hoot.

All seven members of the squad which competed at nationals remain at Brandeis; the team boasts much the same lineup as that which finished last season ranked 24th in the nation. Co-captains Paul Norton ’11 and Dan Anastos ’11, as well as Devon Holgate ’11, Ben Bray ’11, Kerwin Vega ’11, Zack Schwartz ’11, and Sam Donovan ’11 make up a “very strong senior group.” In 2009, Norton proved one of the top cross country runners in the nation, placing third in regionals and seventh in nationals while earning All-American honors along the way. The Amherst native is Brandeis’s first cross country All-American since 1999.

Juniors Chris Brown and Marc Boutin were All-New England in 2009 and are expected to be “major contributors” to the team’s success. At last year’s regionals, the pair finished 18th and 32nd, respectively.

Freshman additions Ed Colvin and Taylor Dundas are “worth looking out for,” as is Alex Kramer ’13, who did not run cross country his rookie year.

The quest to earn Brandeis’ first regional title since 1991 begins Sept. 3, as the Judges start their season with an alumni meet at Weston High School.