The Alfred State College cross country team started preseason practice in an unusual way to celebrate the college's Centennial.  The 17 members of the 2007 squad along with Head Coach Gary Moore and Assistant Coach Jeremiah Bailey participated in a 130 mile relay run that took them from Lockport to Alfred and raised $1,000 for the American Cancer Society.

The team started in Lockport on Monday morning and ran the Erie Canal Trail all the way to Rochester.  After a night's sleep the team took the Green Way Trail from Rochester to Sonyea.  The Pioneers stayed on main roads from Sonyea to Alfred and arrived back on campus early Tuesday evening.

Two members of the team ran at a time and each runner took a turn each day.  Team members each wore Centennial T-Shirts advertising Alfred State's year-long celebration of 100 years of higher education.

The Pioneers will continue preseason workouts until September 1^st when they will compete in a scrimmage with Alfred University at Stony Brook Park in Dansville.