2008 PAC Cross Country Preview

BETHANY BISON
Mark Swiger, a 1982 Bethany graduate, will enter his third season as the head men's and women's cross country coach at the school in the fall of 2008. Swiger will lead a program of 21 runners (seven men, 14 women) this fall.

On the men's side, leading the way will be senior Matt Schlemmer and junior Zach Foster. The women's squad will likely be paced by Maggie McCort, who missed the 2007 cross country season due to injury put set a Bethany track & field school record in the 1,500 meter run this past spring. Jodi Bodo, who is running cross country for the first time but owns four BC outdoor track & field records, should also make an impact.

CHATHAM COUGARS
2008 marks the inaugural season for cross country at Chatham University. The team will be led by head coach Hadara Adelson.

“Our goals for the season are pretty simple. We want each runner to have the opportunity to compete and improve. These runners have the unique opportunity to build a foundation for a successful cross country program for years to come,” said Coach Adelson.

Chatham will begin the season by traveling to Westminster College for its invitational meet on August 30.

GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES
Geneva’s cross country teams are coming off a season filled with great team performances, complete with a number of standout individual performers. Geneva’s women’s team traveled to the 2007 NCCAA national meet at Cedarville University and finished in seventh place out of 24 teams. Phil and Josh Falk represented the men’s team in the post-season.

The end of the 2007 season was bittersweet as the Golden Tornadoes celebrated their success along with the end to a number of cross country careers. Geneva will seek to replace some valued experience from the both women and men’s teams. Beth Bartolomeo, Susan Fletcher, Sara Morrison and Marsha Miller each completed their collegiate eligibility on the women’s side, while the men’s top performer, Phil Falk, was also lost to graduation.

“It was hard to watch so many great athletes leave this past year,” said head coach Bret Otte. “When you look back on their respective careers, each student-athlete contributed so much to Geneva’s cross country program and have instilled a great attitude in the runners that will carry the torch forward.”

Returning to the women’s team is a pair of experienced seniors in Nicole Okerlund and Rebecca VanRegenmorter (right). VanRegenmorter paced the Golden Tornadoes at the 2007 NCCAA national meet with the team’s best time and a 33rd overall finish. The men won’t have to deal with the loss of any seniors after 2008 with just one upperclassman on the roster. Junior Phil Falk will provide a wealth of experience and lead the young squad into another season.

Both teams are stretched a bit thin with just seven runners per side to start the 2008 season, including four freshmen for the men and three for the women. Coach Otte is counting on the seniors and leaders for each team to carry the bulk of the load, while bringing the youngsters along slowly throughout the semester. “We are fortunate to return some tremendous athletes that have been a big part of our success in the past,” said Otte. “We also have some freshmen joining the team that have the potential to make an immediate impact. The hope is that our combination will yield great results.”

Geneva will prepare during the 2008 season to compete in the PAC championships and the NCCAA championships. Still classified as a provisional member of the NCAA, the Golden Tornadoes will focus primarily on the NCCAA nationals in November, although they will get a good sense of where they stack up within the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

With an experienced coaching staff, one that has been together for three years, and some talented leaders, expectations are high for a solid season. “It is special when your team all comes together,” Otte said. “It certainly makes my job a lot easier when your top athletes are also your hardest workers. Our youngsters will get a first hand look at exactly what it takes to be successful at this level by simply practicing with our upperclassmen everyday.”

For coach Otte and his staff it has always been about constant improvement and not about final results. The 2008 season should be no different for the 11 year head coach. “Our athletes have always done an exceptional job at improving throughout the season. If our kids are able to follow suit in 2008, we should have another memorable season.

The Grove City College men's cross country team enters the 2008 season with plenty of experience and plenty of expectations. The Wolverines feature several returning standouts this fall as they pursue their 19th consecutive Presidents' Athletic Conference title.

Five runners are back after earning All-PAC recognition in 2007. Seniors Brett Kelly and Dan Spaulding are both three-time First Team All-PAC honorees. Last year, Spaulding took eighth overall in the conference meet while Kelly claimed 10th. Both are expected to be at or near the top of the lineup again this year.

Also back is senior Tim Su, a 2007 First Team All-PAC selection. Su took ninth at the 2007 PAC Championships after just missing out on All-Conference status as a freshman. Another senior, Nathan Johnson, returns after missing the 2007 season. He captured Second Team All-PAC as a sophomore in 2006.

Two sophomores also return after earning All-PAC honors as rookies last year. Garrett Cichowitz capped his freshman season by earning NCAA All-Mideast Region honors. He led Grove City at the PAC Championships with a fifth-place overall finish in the field. Meanwhile, sophomore Gordon Grob joined Cichowitz on the PAC's First Team. He will also be counted on heavily again this year.

Two other veterans return after posting top-25 finishes at the PAC Championships last year. Junior Frankie Hourigan is a returning Second Team All-PAC honoree while sophomore Cordell Oberholtzer took 24th. Junior Royce Hyland is also back after lettering in each of his first two seasons.

Head coach Sean Severson, the 2007 conference Coach of the Year, will also look for contributions from several newcomers this autumn. Grove City will open the 2008 season August 30 at the Westminster Invitational.

With five returning First Team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference performers back in the fold this fall, the Grove City College women's cross country team enters 2008 with lofty expectations.

Grove City returns two NCAA Division III Championships qualifiers in senior Kristen Carter (left) and senior Julia Seward. Carter earned NCAA All-America honors last year while Seward joined Carter on the All-Mideast Region Team. Carter is also the two-time defending PAC champion while Seward earned conference runner-up in 2007. Both could contend for All-America honors again this season.

Also returning are sophomores Brigitte Fryan, Emily Pierce and Jessica Vernon -- all of whom earned First Team All-PAC status in 2007. Fellow sophomores Hannah Helfer and Kate McRoberts are also expected to hold down spots in the lineup this season after emerging late last year. Rachel Nelson, the team's lone junior, is also in the mix. Nelson captured Second Team All-PAC honors last year for Grove City.

Seniors Kate Bonaquist, Anna Butler and Catherine Martin are also back and will battle for a spot in the Wolverines' top seven.

Grove City is looking to secure its 20th straight PAC title. The Wolverines are also looking for a potential berth in the NCAA Championships after a strong sixth-place finish at the 2007 Mideast Regional Championships.

SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS
With 15 runners returning from arguably its most successful season in school history, the Saint Vincent men’s cross country team looks ready to build upon its recent successes.

In 2007, the Bearcats, coached by Dr. Andy Herr, finished no lower than fourth place in any of the seven matches in which they competed, taking team titles at the Saint Vincent Invitational and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Invitational before capping off the season with a fourth-place finish at the ECAC Championships.

Leading the SVC returnees is senior Adam Smith (right). Arguably the most decorated runner in team history, Smith holds eight of the program’s top 25 performances, and has finished in the team’s top four in every race of his career. Last season, Smith captured individual titles at the Saint Vincent Invitational (26:42), the Dickinson Invitational (26:29), and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship (26:20), while he finished second overall at the ECAC Championship with a time of 26:16. He also made history at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational, when, with a time of 25:58, he became only the fifth runner in school history to break the 26-minute mark in an 8K race.

Josh Meny, Nick Stelitano, Alex Krupey, Shane and Craig Anderton, and John Bozek join Smith as returning seniors, and all are expected to finish their careers in strong fashion.

Meny turned in a number of strong performances as a junior, finishing 45^th at the Duquesne Duals, and a career-best 15^th at the SVC Invitational. As a sophomore, he took part in SVCs two championships meets (PAC Championship and ECAC Championship), setting a personal record of 28:10 in the latter.

A season ago, Stelitano turned in top-15 performances at the SVC Invitational and the PAC Championship, while Krupey’s campaign was highlighted with a 23^rd place finish at the PAC meet and a 35^th place finish at the Duquesne University Duals.

Craig Anderton and his brother Shane were both very consistent as juniors, finishing in the top 40 in every meet of the season. Bozek, a PAC Academic Honor Roll selection, also improved over the course of the 2007 campaign, setting a personal record of 32:53 late in the year.

The junior class is highlighted by the duo of Shane Simmons and Ed Moss. Simmons earned PAC Coaches Honors with an 11^th place finish at the PAC Championships, while he finished in 12^th at the SVC Invitational before turning in a season-best 27:35 at the ECAC Championship, good for 35^th place.

Moss has been a consistent performer throughout his career, turning in two top-20 performances a season ago, including a career-best 15^th place at the PAC Championships, before finishing 83^rd at the ECAC Championships with a season-best time of 28:20.

Another junior who has improved considerably over his career is Mike Wong, who has consistently finished in the top half of the team in each of the past two seasons, highlighted by a 35^th-place finish at the SVC Invitational.

Matt Hagg, Mike Hannon, Matt Kauffman, and Mike Stevens compose the Bearcat sophomores. Hagg’s top two performances in his first season were at the SVC Invitational (35^th place) and at Carnegie Mellon, where he set a personal record of 28:32.

Hannon, a PIAA State Championship qualifier in high school, set a personal record as a freshman at the SVC Invitational, placing 40^th with a time of 30:24, while Kauffman and Stevens each participated in both the PAC and ECAC Championships.

While plenty is expected of the Bearcat upperclassmen, Herr also expects his freshmen to contribute immediately.

Kevin Wanichko, a graduate of Southern Nash High School in North Carolina, comes to Latrobe with impressive credentials, as he was named the Eastern North Carolina Runner of the Year in 2007, and captured the state championship in the indoor mile. Josh Hooke was a four-year letterwinner at Norwin High School, and twice qualified for the PIAA State Championships.

Ryan Barlow, Jacob Barrett, Greg Forsythe, Nick Higgins, Chase Maffe, Thomas McLaughlin, and Aaron Seckar also will all be entering their first seasons for the Bearcats, giving Herr one of his deepest teams in his five-year tenure.

The Bearcats begin the 2008 campaign on Saturday, taking part in the California University (PA) Invitational beginning at 10 a.m.

---

Despite graduating seven seniors from a season ago, the Saint Vincent women’s cross country team has high hopes entering 2008.

A season ago, the Lady Bearcats turned in three fourth-place finishes before culminating the season with a 14^th place finish, out of 32 teams, at the ECAC Championship. The provisional school also took third at the 2007 PAC Championships.

Coach Tom Harbert has a particularly deep roster entering the new season, with 29 runners, including five seniors, six juniors, 10 sophomores, and eight freshmen. With so many runners, the coach expects strong competition within his team each week.

"We have the fortune of having so many young women coming out this year,” Harbert said. “Having them all train together every day in practice and run together every weekend in meets, they should all be able to push each other, which should lead to improvement all season.”

The duo of Lauren Ziegenfus and Kelly Cunningham highlights Harbert’s senior class. Ziegenfus has been a top performer dating back to her freshman campaign of 2005, as she burst onto the scene with a 39^th-place finish at the NAIA American Mideast Conference Championships in her inaugural season. She hardly has tailed off, finishing in the top 25 in at least three meets in each of the past three seasons.

Cunningham has also been a top-seven runner for SVC in each of her three seasons, with her junior year capped off with a 34^th-place finish at the PAC Championships.

Tara Karns, another four-year member of the squad, and Allison Anderson, who is in her first year on the course, rounds out the senior class.

The junior class looks to be led by Katherine Stodola. She turned in a very productive junior campaign, finishing 25^th at the SVC Invitational and 21^st at the PAC Championship before being the second Lady Bearcat to cross the finish line at the ECAC Championships, finishing 70th overall.

Stodola's classmate Kelsey Sullivan also looks to be a consistent top-seven threat. As a freshman in 2006, she finished in the top-20 individually on five separate occasions, and hardly slowed down as a sophomore, when she took 18^th overall at Westminster and 25^th at both the SVC Invitational and the PAC Championship.

After enjoying a fine freshmen campaign, Rachel Gregory looks to overcome injuries that hampered her throughout the 2007 season. Other SVC juniors who have been consistent contributors for the Lady Bearcats include Amanda Hess, Tausha Varner, and Amanda Houtz.

Jillian Krupey should pace the Lady Bearcat sophomores. She had a fine start to her freshman campaign, debuting with a 25^th place performance at Westminster, and followed that up with a 17^th place finish at the California (PA) Invitational and a 29^th place finish at the SVC Invitational. Hampered by injuries late in the season, she looks to be back to her old form.

Krupey's classmate Emma Goetz has also improved dramatically over the past two seasons, culminating with a 22^nd place finish at the PAC Championships. Sophomores Brittany Fidazzo, Amy Babb, Jillian Janflone, and Maria Shaffo also were consistent performers a season ago, and Harbert feels that they all have improved over the summer.

Harbert has been particularly impressed with his incoming freshmen, saying “they all were very tough over their high school careers, and they look like they’re all ready for the upcoming season.”

Although new to cross country racing, freshmen Ivette Mejia brings a list of accomplishments to Saint Vincent from her hometown of New York City. While never a part of a formal cross country team in her youth, Mejia was named the 2007 New York Road Runner of the Year for the ages of 15-19, and she finished in the top three of each of her last nine road races run.

Mejia's classmate Crystal Sherlock also brings impressive credentials to the Lady Bearcats. The top runner for McKeesport High School in each of the past two seasons, Sherlock took 76^th place out of 375 runners, at the 2007 Tri-State Invitational.

Marie McIntyre and Natalie Wolff, both PIAA State Championship qualifiers in high school, enter their first season for the Lady Bearcats, as do Natalie Wiltrout, Carrie Dirisio, Rachel Horne, Natasha Nunes, and Alyson Pajak, whose brother Thaddeus, a 2007 SVC grad, was one of the most accomplished runners in Bearcat men’s history.

The Lady Bearcats’ deep roster will make its debut on September 6^th, traveling to the California University (PA) Invitational, an event the team won in 2006.

THIEL TOMCATS
A year after resurrecting the Thiel men's cross country program, second-year head coach Kevin Pool looks for improvement on 2007’s fourth-place finish at the PAC Championship meet. Sophomores Derek Workman, Alex Bent, and Bryan Montozzi all return, each having contributed in scoring last fall. Montozzi and Workman look to carry over the momentum from their successful track seasons, as each placed fourth at the PAC track championships in the 3,000 steeplechase and 1,500 meter run, respectively. Juniors Ben Moran and Kevin Woods have top-seven experience from last year and should contend for those same spots again. Incoming freshmen Richard Peterson, Brendan DuLaney, and Sam Slaven are expected to make an immediate impact this year.

With the numbers to field a women's team for the first time in three years, returners Kate DeGeorge, Sarah McAfee, and Rebecca Walton will form a solid foundation for the blue and gold. Incoming freshmen Tiffany Blosser and Brittany Davis could also make an immediate impact for the Tomcats. Another newcomer, Tara Sturey, also has the ability to contribute.

THOMAS MORE SAINTS
The Saint harriers of second-year head coach Brian Alessandro boast 10 runners entering the 2008 season. Thomas More will serve as host of the 2008 PAC Cross Country Championships on November 1 at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio.

The TMC men's roster is led by junior Josh Horn and sophomores Kyle Egan and Tom Cox, along with freshmen Josh Newport, Nathan Goodrich, and Sean Burgoon.

On the women's side, sophomore Rachel Krumpelbeck is joined by newcomers Kristina Marcelli, Graciela Reynolds and Katie Mestemaker.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS
The Washington and Jefferson College cross country programs and Head Coach Mark Fitzpatrick anticipate individual and team improvements for 2008 as the three-time PAC Cross Country and Track & Field Coach of the Year enters his sixth season with the Presidents.

The men's program will return three All-PAC performers from a year ago, including seniors Bobby Regan and Matthew Toldero and sophomore Andrew Howard.

Regan must fill the shoes of recently graduated Matt Rudzki, the 2007 Presidents' Athletic Conference medalist. Toldero, Howard and a host of other runners will look to make strides throughout the season in an effort to assist the team in reaching its goal of capturing a PAC championship.

Juniors Josh Bashioum, Bryan Hanrahan and Will Seymour will add depth to the Presidents' 15-man roster. Senior Travis Bui-Klimke and sophomores Austin Baumgard and Richard Koch are also talented runners who will look to improve their times in 2008.

The women's program will again be led by Erin Long (right) and Megan Duffett, who are both returning for their senior seasons with the Presidents. Both will be looking to repeat as All-PAC performers in 2008.

Long will be looking to become the first W&J cross country student-athlete to earn four consecutive all-region awards. Last season, she claimed 26th place at the regional event to back up her third-place finish at the PAC Championships.

Long paced the team in 2007 posting four top ten finishes in seven events. She was able to bring home second-place showings twice, first at the Ursinus Invitational and than again at the Allegheny Classic.

Utilizing valuable experience gained as a junior, Duffett will continue to push Long in 2008, attempting to elevate them into one of the top one-two combos in the conference. Senior Kelli Hartman improved steadily last season and will be looking to crack the top 10 at the conference championships.

Sophomore Laura Procario posted solid showings in her freshman campaign and will be expected to contribute even more this fall, while classmate Amy Prosser is another young runner who will add to the team's depth.

Both programs will open the 2008 season at the Washington and Lee Invitational on September 6th at 10:00 am in Lexington, Va.

WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS
Going into the 2008 cross country season, there are some gaping holes on both the men’s and women’s teams for Waynesburg University. On the men’s side, 10^th-year head coach Blair Zimmerman must replace his top two runners from last year, Tim Monaghan and Shane Gottschalk.

When it comes to the women, Zimmerman has to replace one of the finest runners he’s ever had in Colorado native Michelle (Propst) Cross. The graduation of another four-year All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honoree, Haley Hinds, also leaves a void. Katie Weko, yet another consistent contributor, has also graduated.

“Out of those three runners, there were 11 all-conference awards,” Zimmerman said. “Michelle was an all-region honoree.”

Clearly, there is a lot of experience and talent for Zimmerman and his assistant coach, Matt Brandstetter, to replace.

On the men’s side, Zimmerman has high hopes for junior Mike Harwick, who will be a captain of this year’s squad.

“I’m anxious to see what he does this year,” Zimmerman said. “He’s been working hard.”

While having a junior captain is somewhat rare, it is a necessity for this year’s squad as there are no seniors on the men’s roster.

Bill Moder, a transfer from Slippery Rock, and sophomore Adam Swingle, a first-year cross-country competitor who was an accomplished long-distance runner on last year’s track and field team, is also expected to shoulder some of the load.

Speaking of veterans, Shea Gottschalk, the younger brother of Shane, also returns this season.

Sophomore Ben Fortna and freshman Kameron Schaefer are also expected to be among those who contribute throughout this year’s schedule.

Andy Naymick, a junior who missed time with injuries and illness in 2007, is back and healthy, giving Zimmerman another veteran for a team that his heavily laden with freshmen and sophomores.

For this year’s men’s team to be successful, Zimmerman commented that last year’s youngsters have to grow up for the team to take a step forward after finishing fifth in the PAC last season.

“Last year, the majority of the freshmen were like deer in headlights,” Zimmerman said. “I’m hoping we see a change from last year to this year.”

While the main goal for any team is to win now, Zimmerman admits that this program is going to go through its share of growing pains. However, the veteran leader of the Yellow Jacket harriers has his eyes on the long term.

‘With our top two gone this year, we pretty much lost our top seven in two years,” Zimmerman said. “We think we’re a little better and I can’t worry about what other people have. I think we’re going to open some eyes.”

This year, the Waynesburg women will be without one of its finest and most consistent runners in Cross, who made an immediate impact on the PAC after coming all the way from Colorado to join the Yellow Jackets in 2004.

However, another native of the Rocky Mountain State is back and healthy in 2008. Senior Megan Grover had something of a down season last year as she battled injuries. This season, she’ll be counted on to lead this year’s team following a second-place finish in 2007.

Grover is already showing a renewed confidence in what this season could hold for her.

“I told [Grover] that she could make the regional team and she responded by saying she was going to nationals,” Zimmerman said. “Her work ethic is off the charts.”

Junior Janet Carson is also coming off of a 2007 campaign in which she was less than 100 percent physically. Along with Carson, senior Lauren Woody will also be counted on to be a stop seven runner for the team.

Sophomore Jenny Bittner is coming off of an impressive freshman campaign, in which she was a regular scoring contributor and will be counted on to step up her efforts.

With a core of veterans to lead his team, Zimmerman is looking to several newcomers to make an impact early on in their college days.

Freshman Amanda Zyzak, who has only competed in cross-country for a year prior to this one, has looked solid in the off-season. Jordan Miller, another freshman, is also expected to make her mark on this year’s squad.

Though the competition will be fierce within the PAC ranks, Zimmerman is confident in his team’s raw talent. He believes that the key to his women’s success for the upcoming year is how hard they are willing to work before hitting the courses.

“I told them at practice recently that there are going to be some talented runners this year,” Zimmerman said. “The bottom line is, we have to get it from the heart.”

Along with competing for the PAC championships in both the men’s and women’s ranks, Zimmerman will also be busy preparing for the NCAA Mideast Regionals in November. It will be the second time in the last three years that the Greene County Airport, the home course for Waynesburg, hosts some of the best in this part of the country for a chance to go to the national finals.

“It’s very prestigious for this university to get to host it,” Zimmerman said. “It’s a lot of work for everyone involved, including the county.”

WESTMINSTER TITANS
The key word for the Westminster College men's and women's cross country team as they enter the 2008 season is "presence."

That presence is having a familiar coach, many of the teams' top runners returning, and hopefully the awareness of Westminster as a contender in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).

Head coach Tim McNeil, the program's first-ever, full-time coach, is back for his second year with the team. He will welcome back six returning lettermen on the men's side and seven on the women's team.

"With key returning members of the 2007 team and some fine new additions, this year's cross country teams look to have a stronger presence in the PAC," McNeil said.

The Westminster men placed third and the women fourth at the PAC Championships last year. The Titans placed three runners in the Top 25 all which earning all-PAC honors.

Most notably returning for the men's team will be junior Jeremiah Patterson (right). Patterson led the Titans with a 16th-place time of 28:28 in the 8-kilometer race to earn second-team all-PAC honors. Voted the team MVP, Patterson also posted a time of 27:25 at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional.

Also included in the six returning lettermen for the Titan men are seniors Andrew Brown, Aaron Titus and John Varley. Titus is a three-year letterman while Brown owns two letters.

Including the PACs, the Titan men finished in the top half of four of their seven meets during the season.

On the women's side, junior Elizabeth Beardsley returns to the team after earning second-team all-PAC honors and team MVP accolades for the last two years. Beardsley ran a 25th-place time of 25:20 in the 6-kilometer course at the PAC Championships and a 24:27 at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional.

Also included in the seven returning letter-winners are seniors Shalyn Eakin and LeighAnn Jordan. Junior Amanda Everett is also a two-year letter-winner.

The Titan women's fourth-place finish at PACs last year tied for their highest finish out of seven meets during the year.

"The team did a great job in their summer preparation," McNeil added. "They will reap the benefits of their hard work and dedication in November."

Westminster will open the season Saturday, Aug. 30 when it hosts the Fisher Invitational at 10 a.m. on the college campus. The Titans are scheduled to compete in five other races during the year including the PAC Championships on Nov. 1 in Mason, Ohio.