Cross Country Heads to CAC Championship Saturday
YORK, Pa. - The Stevenson University men's and women's cross country will head to Thornburg, Virginia this weekend to compete in the 2008 CAC Cross Country Championships.
Mary Washington will host the conference meet will be hosted at the Indian Acres Club (near exit 118 off Interstate 95). The men's championship race begins at 11 a.m., followed by the women's chase at noon. The awards ceremony will begin at approximately 1:15 p.m.
Junior Joe Spurrier (Mt. Airy/Glenelg) has competed in six races this season for the Mustangs, with his best 8K finish coming at the York Spartan Invitational on September 20 where he placed 33rd out of 51 runners. His best 8K performance this year came the following week at the Don Cathart Invitational in Salisbury where he finished in 31:12.
A year ago, Spurrier placed 43rd out of 68 runners at the CAC Championships in a time of 29:44.58.
The Stevenson women are led by freshman Danielle Riley (Hartly, Del./Lake Forest) who has been the team's top finisher in five out of six races this season. She did not compete at Salisbury's Don Cathart Invitational on September 27. Her top performance of the season came just last week at the Hood Invitational were she placed 6th in a time of 21:04.46.
Another Mustang to watch is junior Nicole Nash (Leonardtown/Leonardtown). She has finished second behind Riley in three of the last four races while finish first on the team at the Don Cathart Invitational.
Nash also placed second on the team and 28th overall at last year's CAC Championships in a time of 26:44.01.
Mary Washington and Salisbury have combined to win all 34 CAC men's and women's cross country championships since the inception of the conference in 1991. The battle for top honors in both races will likely come down to the Eagles and Sea Gulls again this year.
The competition will include runners from eight institutions as Gallaudet joins the chase this season.
When the gun fires for the men's 8,000-meter run over the mostly grass course that features several rolling hills, seven teams will try to unseat Salisbury from the top of the podium. The Sea Gulls have won the last three championships, five of the last six and seven of the last 11.
Mary Washington has won two men's titles this decade (2001 and 2004) after capturing top honors in eight of the first nine years of conference championship competition. UMW enters the 2008 CAC Championship ranked third in the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region while Salisbury is ranked 8th in the Mideast Region.
In the women's 6K event, UMW is the defending champ after stopping Salisbury's title streak at three in 2007. The Eagles won all but one team crown from 1991 through 2003, with the exception being the Sea Gulls' title in 1996. Mary Washington's women's squad is ranked No. 6 in the Division III South/Southeast Regional poll.
The top 15 runners in each race will earn a berth on the All-CAC team with the top seven earning first team recognition.
Here is a look at each team heading into Saturday's championship race:
GALLAUDET women's cross country is in a developing period and the ladies are learning how to be more competitive. Kari Olney is now aiming to run the 6k less than 25 min which means that she may have a strong finish among the top 20 at the CAC Championship.
Kayla Castro never ran competively before she came to Gallaudet and she is demonstrating huge improvement in the last two months.
Kirsten Swanson is a very laid back runner and can finish the 6K with no problem and is now learning how to push herself to run in 27 min instead of 31 min. Rose Ritz will not run in the CAC championship due to other commitments.
HOOD has been working hard and making steady progress throughout the fall season. The Blazers showed small signs of improvement at their home invitational on October 18 and hope to continue making progress.
It is head coach Brent Ayer's goal that senior Danielle Sgro can repeat as an all-conference performer and he'd like to see junior William Andrews take a shot at earning Hood's first men's designation.
Ayer emphasized that the key meets were Hood's two home invitationals and the Capital Athletic Conference Championship. He feels the Blazers are right in the middle of these meets, so hopefully the squad can perform when it matters.
The MARYMOUNT men's team is led by Bernard Korinko, who has been the top Saints' finisher in every race for the past two season. He most recently had a 10th place finish at the Hood Invitational.
In the women's race, Therese McMahon has led throughout the 2008 season year - finishing as the team's top runner in every race this season. Ashley Hayward has been the MU runner-up in each event.
Three-time CAC Runner of the Week Frank DeVar leads a junior-laden MARY WASHINGTON men's squad under head coach Stan Soper. DeVar, a 2007 NCAA Championship competitor, will be joined by classmates Matt Cash, Brian Fulton, Jason Driscoll, Mo Yousuf and Jake Pattyson, with senior J.T. Newcomb and freshman Kyle Anderson also looking to challenge for all-conference honors.
The UMW women will be seeking their 14th CAC crown, and sophomore Hayley Sullivan will lead the way. Sullivan, a five-time CAC Runner of the Week this fall, has been UMW's top finisher in every race in which she's competed.
The young Eagles will rely on the experience of sophomores Ali Bryant, Sara Dawes, Erin McCarthy, Nina Pfeiffer and Kristy Witek. Freshman Michaela Sands will also vie for All-CAC accolades.
The SALISBURY men are looking for their fourth consecutive and eighth overall for the program. The Sea Gulls will be facing stiff competition in last year's second and third overall finishers, Mary Washington and York (Pa.). The Sea Gulls have defeated Mary Washington twice already this season.
Looking to lead the way for SU is senior Zack Dickerson, junior Travis Boccher, and sophomores Sam Boimov and Chris Barnard.
The Salisbury women are looking to redeem themselves and bring the title back to Salisbury for the fourth time in the past five years. The Sea Gulls will have to get past last year's champion, Mary Washington.
Salisbury was defeated by the Eagles by 13 points in the Don Cathcart Invitational on September 27 but reversed the score beating Mary Washington by 13 at the Gettysburg Invitational on October 18. The women will be led by seniors Amy DeMichelle and Jenn Bulger and sophomores Masha Berge and Kristin Stromberg.
For the WESLEY men's team, freshman David Breeding and junior John Clarke have been the top two runners at every meet in 2008. On the women's side, the Wolverines will look for freshman Tiera Brooks to lead the way as she has done at every meet this season.
The YORK men's cross country team enters the Capital Athletic Conference championships looking to best their third place finish from a year ago. Senior Jesse Jaeger, a three-time All-CAC selection, will look to lead the Spartans and capture his best finish of his career after placing seventh last season.
Sophomore Matt Provonche has had a strong season for the green and white and has set up well for a strong finish at this year championships. Jason Hinkle is another strong runner who has the ability to place high at the CAC meet.
The Spartans' women's team enters Saturday's championship looking for a strong finish after placing third last season. The Spartans led by junior reigning CAC Rookie-of-the-Year Melody Parshall, whose fifth-place finish at the 2007 championships landed her on the all-conference first-team. She has had a strong season and will look to challenge for another top spot in the CAC Championships.
Freshman Corie Thompson has put together a solid campaign in just her first season and has the ability to put in a strong performance at the championships.
