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2000-2001 Press Release Index
EDINBORO, PA - After dominating performances at the NCAA East Regional meet, both the Edinboro University men's and women's cross country teams have moved up in the weekly Cross Country Coaches Association's Top 25 poll.
The Fighting Scot women's team jumped from fourth to second after winning the regional title by 97 points over the other 19 teams in the field. This year's title marks the third straight team championship for Edinboro, and senior Carrie McKeon's (Altoona, PA/Altoona) individual crown is the fifth straight for the program.
The women totaled just 30 points in the meet by virtue of their five point scorers all finishing among the top 14.
Behind McKeon were Kathy Breisch (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) in 3rd, Ashley Hansen (Erie, PA/McDowell) in 5th, Lisa Petsche (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) 7th, and Jocelyn Smith (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) 14th. Lynann Lorenz (Vestal, NY/Vestal) crossed the finish just four-tenths of a second behind Smith in 15th. Though Lorenz was not figured into the team scoring, the junior was the final finisher to earn All-East Region honors.
For the first time in recent memory we have depth on our women's The competition between the fifth and sixth runners on our team is what will compel our team to the medal stand at the national meet. The women's field at regionals was comprised of six former All-Americans, but that did not deter our team. We remained focused and ran well.
The Fighting Scot men were equally impressive at the regional event, allowing them to move from sixth into the number five spot in the poll. They outdistanced the field by 91 points to win their ninth consecutive team title. Individual champion Jeff Barker (Barto, PA/Boertown) became the fifth straight Edinboro runner to win the event.
The men's team scored even lower than their female counterparts, combining for just 28 points. As they did in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships, the Fighting Scots finished one-two-three as Yi Min Wu (Tian Jin, China) and Aaron Rowe (Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto) both crossed the finish less than 35 seconds behind Barker.
Ryan Kelly (Vero Beach, FL/Vero Beach) finished in 10th, followed by Nat Wibberly (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing) in 12th and Kimmo Lassila (Veteli, Finland) in 15th. Lassila did not score points for the Fighting Scots, but did earn individual honors as an all-region competitor.
Overall I am pleased with both teams performance. We were confident that we would do well, and we train all year for the regional and national meets. McKeon's win is especially satisfying and I feel that we are right on schedule to go out to California and hopefully win a trophy.
The Fighting Scots will run their final race of the year on November 18 when they travel to Cal Poly-Pomona for the NCAA Division II National Championships. The women will look for their fourth straight top five finish after a third-place showing a year ago. That was the highest finish in the programs history. The men's team will look to improve upon last season's eighth-place finish.
1. | Abilene Christian |
2. | Western State |
3. | UC Davis |
4. | Adams State |
5. | Edinboro |
6. | Chico State |
7. | South Dakota |
8. | Missouri Southern |
9. | Harding |
10. | Truman State |
1. | Western State |
2. | Edinboro |
3. | Adams State |
4. | Northern Colorado |
5. | Central Washington |
6. | Central Missouri State |
7. | Northern Michigan |
8. | UC Davis |
9. | North Dakota |
10. | Pittsburg State |
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... November 10, 2000