![[tribullet.gif]](../tribullet.gif)
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 compete in the NCAA Division II National Championships hosted by Cal Poly-Pomona in Pomona, CA on Saturday, November 18.
Few schools in the country can compare with the resume put forth by the Doug Watts-led Edinboro cross country programs. The 32-year head coach's name has become synonymous with both running and academic excellence. As the program once again approaches the national championship meet, the 2000 edition of the Fighting Scots are primed to carry on the tradition that defines cross country in this area.
To say that the Fighting Scots have faired well at the national meet the past several years is an understatement. The women own three straight top five finishes to their credit. That streak includes last season's third place finish, the highest finish ever in the program's history. With three former All-Americans running among the Edinboro front four, and newfound depth in the fifth and sixth spots, the Fighting Scots appear in great position entering the championships. The Edinboro women have now qualified for the championships five straight years and 10 of 13 seasons dating back to 1988.
"For the first time in recent memory we have depth on our women's team," noted head coach Doug Watts. "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."
Edinboro enters the national meet ranked second in the most recent Cross Country Coaches Association poll after holding the number four spot the previous two weeks.
"I think we are a little over-rated ranked second," expressed Watts. "I'm not saying we couldn't end up second, its just not going to be the most probable finish. To do that, all four girls up front would have to be All-Americans and our fifth runner would have to run at least as good as they did at regionals."
Watts feels the more likely scenario would be that three of the front four will finish as All-Americans and the team will be within a few points of third to fifth place in the team standings.
"I wouldn't be disappointed with that," shared the long-time mentor. "These women have come a heck of a long ways in their careers and I just want them to end up happy. One thing I know, they are going to run hard.T
Seniors Carrie McKeon (Altoona, PA/Altoona) and Ashley Hansen (Erie, PA/McDowell) and junior Kathy Breisch (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) have run at the All-American level all season and junior Lisa Petsche (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) is getting better each race after having missed nearly a year's worth of training after suffering consecutive stress fractures. Juniors Lynann Lorenz (Vestal, NY/Vestal) and Jocelyn Smith (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) are currently competing for the number five spot.
The Fighting Scots lost only Gabriela Hnilkova from last season's third place team. Petsche finished the highest among the returners in 19th to earn her second All-American certificate. Hansen and Breisch finished just eight seconds apart in 37th and 41st overall. The final three Edinboro competitors were McKeon in 77th, Lorenz was 97th and Amy Shinskie (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle) finished 124th though she was less than four minutes off of the lead pace.
Both Petsche and McKeon are two-time All-Americans and have an opportunity to become just the second and third Edinboro female cross country runners to become three-time All-Americans. Assistant coach Amy Perry-Davis set the standard by earning All-American status in her final three years of competition. Hansen also has an All-American award to her credit.
The East Region received an extra bid in the team competition by virtue of the Fighting Scots finish a year ago.
Both teams dominated the fields at the East Regional meet held at Lock Haven University on November 4.
The women combined for a team score of 30 to win their third consecutive regional title; Kutztown placed second with 127 points. McKeon won the fifth straight individual crown for the women's program. The senior covered the 6K course in 21:29, setting a new course record by under a second.
Five other Fighting Scots crossed the finish line among the top 15 to earn all-region honors. Breisch finished third (21:44), Hansen fifth (21:57), and Petsche was seventh (22:00). One of the most exciting finishes of the day came down to the Edinboro fifth and sixth runners. Smith, running in just her second cross country meet out kicked teammate Lorenz in the last few meters to finish 14th. Smith was the final point scorer for the team, however, both individuals earned all-region honors.
"Carrie's win epitomizes everything I feel about running," shared Watts with a twinkle in his eyes. "She had a bad health year last season and suffered in order to help the team. And she did, but for her to overcome all of the obstacles and win regionalsE. She should end her career as only the second female three-time All-American Edinboro has had."
The Edinboro women won their third straight PSAC team title at the conference championships held in late October. The Fighting Scots swept the second through fifth positions in route to a 31 point score. Breisch led the Edinboro pack with the second place finish. Hansen, McKeon and Petsche crossed the line in third through fifth place, respectively. Lock Haven who finished second with 96 points followed the Edinboro squad.
The storied men's program boasts six national championships, two on the NAIA level and four NCAA titles. That includes three consecutive national championships from 1986-88. The Fighting Scots also ran the table as either the NCAA Champions or the runners-up for a span of seven years from the 1984-90. The program has qualified for the NCAA event for an amazing 21 consecutive years.
The Edinboro program also boasts four individual champions, including junior Yi Min Wu (Tian Jin, China) who won the crown as a freshman in 1998. He finished fourth a year ago to once again earn All-American status.
Wu joins senior Jeff Barker (Barto, PA/Boyerstown), who previously earned All-American status in 1997, up front this season. Led by that formidable duo, and sparked by the recent performance of sophomore Aaron Rowe (Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto), the Running Scots will look to improve upon last year's eighth-place finish. The Edinboro team earned the East Region an extra bid to the national meet by finishing among the top eight.
"Barker will need to control his aggressiveness and not attack the lead runners," shared Watts. "He has an Olympians heart and desire, but he has not developed to that level.T
Wu spent much of the early part of the season on the sidelines with an Achilles injury. He returned to competition in late September and has been using each meet as a measuring stick for his training.
"Wu is getting better each week," continued Watts. "Don't expect a top five finish, but he will still score low.
"I consider Rowe as a borderline All-American. If he does run at All-American level, we should be okay as a team. The key is to get our number four and five guys finishing 20-25 seconds ahead of where their PSAC and regional finishes were, then we will have a shot at a trophy," concluded Watts.
Rounding out the Edinboro lineup is junior Ryan Kelly (Vero Beach, FL/Vero Beach), sophomores Nat Wibberly (Wyomising, PA/Wyomissing) and Kimmo Lassila (Veteli, Finland) and freshman Joe Reynolds (North East, PA/North East). Kelly ran arguably his best race of the season at regionals where he finished tenth. Wibberly has improved his consistency and has run as the number four man most of the season. Lassila had off-season surgery to repair his Achilles tendon and despite returning to training in late July, has been improving steadily. Reynolds has run some solid races this season and will benefit from the big meet atmosphere at nationals.
"The men's field is loaded," conceded Watts. "Abilene Christian beat Arkansas (the top-ranked team in Division I) twice this season and their five Africans have been tremendous all year. Still, I pick Western State to upset them. They have a New Zealand Olympian heading their unit and they are tough."
Besides Wu, the only other All-American on the Fighting Scots roster is Barker who earnd his award back in 1997, finishing 31st.
Though he has yet to be an All-American, Rowe was a member of the United States Junior National team this past summer and qualified for the world championships in the 5,000 meters.
Kelly, Wibberly, Janke and Reynolds have all been in the mix as the number four and five scorers this season. The team s depth has helped propel the Fighting Scots to the number five spot in the Cross Country Coaches Association poll heading into this weekend s competition.
The Fighting Scot men have now won nine straight regional crowns and Barker recorded the fifth straight individual championship for the men's program. As a team, the Running Scots tallied just 28 points. Shippensburg finished second with 118 points. Barker, also the 2000 PSAC medallist, set a new course record at the regional meet by more than a minute.
Wu and Rowe followed Barker across the line in second and third place, respectively. Though he was the two-time defending East champion, Wu's runner-up finish was not a disappointment as Watts credits him with running a much smarter race at the regional than he did at the conference meet a week earlier. Wu raced on Barker's shoulder through the first four miles before dropping off the pace by 18 seconds at the finish.
"Wu just didn't have enough left to stay with Jeff," noted Watts. "He stayed within the race plan this week and that should benefit him at nationals."
Rowe, the PSAC runner-up, got out of the gate fast as he tried to run with Barker and Wu, but he just did not have enough in the tank to stay with the powerful tandem. Also earning All-East Region honors were Kelly, Wibberly, and Lassila.
"We traditionally run our best at regionals and nationals," reflected Watts. "We are the healthiest we have been all year and we have focused all of our training on the type of flat running that makes up the regional and national courses."
Watts' men have now captured their ninth straight PSAC team title, and their 18th championship in the 21-year event. Perhaps even more impressive, Barker became the 17th consecutive individual champion for the Running Scots program. Barker, Rowe and Wu finished one-two-three as the team tallied 25 points. Shippensburg was second with 90 points.
All seven Edinboro runners earned All-PSAC honors by finishing in the Top 15. Kelly placed eighth while Joe Janke (Denver, PA/Cocalico) surprised Watts by placing 11th. Wibberly and Reynolds finished 13th and 14th to round out the Fighting Scot runners.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... November 14, 2000