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2000-2001 Press Release Index
EDINBORO, PA - The Edinboro University men s and women s cross country teams will once again be put to the test this weekend as they get set to defend their NCAA East Regional titles on Saturday, November 4 at Lock Haven University.
The Fighting Scot men have won eight straight regional crowns while the women s team owns two consecutive titles of its own.
Edinboro head coach Doug Watts feels confident his teams will emerge victorious once again.
"This meet will be the PSAC Championships all over again," surmised Watts. "In the men s race, Wheeling Jesuit is the only team outside the PSAC that will impact the top five. They also have two runners who have the ability to impact the top five."
The Fighting Scot men s team swept the top three spots at the PSAC Championships and Watts expects those same three student-athletes to once again lead the pack. Jeff Barker (Barto, PA/Boyertown) won his first individual PSAC championship last weekend. The senior outdistanced the field by more than 27 seconds.
"Barker ran a good race," shared the long-time mentor. "We have focused our training this year on a flat course like we will see at regionals and nationals. The Slippery Rock course was extremely hilly and for Jeff to win so easily says a lot."
Barker was followed across the line by sophomore Aaron Rowe (Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto) and junior Yi Min Wu (Tian Jin, China) in second and third, respectively. According to Watts, Rowe ran a very smart and controlled race at PSAC s and should be considered a title contender at regionals. The 1998 NCAA Division II champion and two-time East Regional champion, Wu is expected to improve on last week s race.
"Wu wasn t quite ready last week," shared Watts. "He will run better physically and mentally this week."
Wu was hampered in the early season by an Achilles injury which curtailed his training and is just now approaching prime racing condition.
In Watts opinion, Rob Mortensen from Lock Haven and Will Sheets of Wheeling Jesuit are the only other two runners who will push the lead pack.
The women s race features six returning All-Americans, making the individual field much tougher than the men s. Though the Fighting Scots swept the second through fifth positions at the conference meet, Watts expects his top four will have a hard time packing together this week. Despite that prediction Watts still expects seniors Carrie McKeon (Altoona, PA/Altoona) and Ashley Hansen (Erie, PA/McDowell) and juniors Kathy Breisch (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) and Lisa Petsche (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) to all run in the top ten.
Breisch led the Edinboro foursome at the PSAC meet, finishing second. Hansen, McKeon and Petsche followed her in third through fifth.
"Megan Seefeldt from Kutztown will be the favorite again this week," conceded Watts of the PSAC champion. "But our front four are all running at an All-American level."
Junior Jocelyn Smith (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler), who ran in her first cross country meet at the PSAC Championships, ran a gutsy race placing 24th.
"Poor Jocelyn, she s come so far in her training," lamented Watts. "And her training has been for a flat course. Those hills were tough, but she hung in. I would expect her to move up quite a bit this weekend."
After their dominating performances at the PSAC meet, Watts expects the trend to continue.
"We traditionally run our best at regionals and nationals," reflected Watts. "We are the healthiest we have been all year and we expect to improve even on last week s showing."
If all goes well, Edinboro will once again compete in the NCAA Division II National Championships, slated for Saturday, November 18 at Cal Poly Pomona.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... November 1, 2000