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Edinboro townspeople, conditioned for decades
to share their roads with Edinboro University male and female
runners, are a little more aware of the college's cross country
teams this fall.
A very successful 2004 NCAA Division II
National Championship race saw the women finish second, their
highest finish ever, while the men came in a solid seventh. That
represented the highest finish since the 2000 team came in fourth.
Losing only a few "quality" runners through graduation,
the community is hoping for more good fortune in 2005.
The women's team returns four All-East
Region performers, including three All-Americans, and as head
coach Doug Watts has always said, "You win the big races up
front. But for any team to finish in the top four, you need more
than talent. In our case, we'll need some good luck to remain
healthy to have a chance to repeat 2004's success."
Unforeseen problems aside, Watts can look to a
star-packed, upperclassmen lineup to lead the trophy quest. Last
fall, Julie Nemergut emerged as a real star, dominating the PSAC
and East Regionals with her front running. Nemergut placed first
in both events and was named the PSAC Runner of the Year and the
East Regional Most Outstanding Runner.
"At Nationals, Julie raced with a
"see if I can win" attitude," Watts pointed out. "Finding
development a little shy, she paid a big price in the latter
stages of the race, watching people pass her in the last 600
meters and fading to a tenth place finish."
Despite the collapse late in the race, she
earned her first All-American certificate.
After qualifying for the Nationals this spring
in her first and only outdoor track meet in early March, Nemergut
sat out the rest of the season with a stress fracture.
"Summer training has been slow
and progressive. Psychologically she is ready to run at the head
of the pack in whatever race she enters this season,"
assessed Watts.
Rachael Lanzel, the surprise number two Boro
runner in the National Championships, should see added consistency
in high level performances this sophomore campaign. Lanzel
finished 16th at Nationals to earn All-American honors, after a
fifth place finish at the PSAC Championships and eighth place at
regionals. She was named the PSAC Rookie of the Year.
"The cross country All-American
and 5,000 meters National qualifier returns with increased
mileage, confidence and her number one proven characteristic -
toughness," Watts pointed out.
Earning her first All-American certificate in
2004, Heather Wilmoth is expected to continue where she left off,
another "up front" leader. Wilmoth placed 24th at
Nationals after leading Edinboro in the 2004 NCAA Championships
with a 34th place finish. She earned All-East Region and All-PSAC
accolades with fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively.
According to Watts, Kelly Richards will make or
break the team's big meet potential. A side stitch in the last ¾
mile dropped her just behind the last All-American placing -- a
fact she ruefully disdains. Possessing remarkable 'ever paced"
running last year, Richards should be found ten seconds closer to
her leader teammates in the first mile this fall, and continue her
steady middle of the race tactics to earn her first cross country
All-American this fall. As it was, Richards placed 38th at
Nationals after a fourth place finish at the PSAC Championships
and a ninth place finish at the East Regional.
"I guarantee Lindsay Roberts will
be, at least, 20 seconds better in every race this year,"
beamed Watts.
Starting slow due to an injury in '04, Roberts
progressed steadily to anchor the National runner-up team.
Continuing performance results saw her qualify for track Nationals
in the 10,000 meters. Watts is concerned that student teaching
could cut into her training, but she is a proven performer in the
tough races.
Roberts also earned All-PSAC (10th) and
All-East Region (7th) honors a year ago, then went on to place
54th at Nationals.
The sixth experienced runner on the team is
Kiersten Buckley. Buckley's career has been a series of injuries
and illness, but she's been in the top seven mix each year. If the
unfortunate athlete can keep her focus through November this time
around, the team could be formidable.
Development is expected from redshirt freshman
Emily Quinlan, and PSAC 800 runnerup Michelle Kelly.
Three freshmen could impact immediately,
especially Kelly Bergeron, an undertrained 10:40 3,000 meter
runner in high school. Watts feels Sarah Baker could be the
surprise of '05, and Ashley Ferraro has talent but may need a year
training to blossom.
Do the talented girls have a chance to repeat
their dominant performance of the PSAC and Eastern Regionals, and
win the National title?
"2005 will find new goals, new
circumstances, and new expectations,” noted Watts. “If
each runner continues to grow as an individual, revel in the
opportunity to clear new obstacles and apply the Edinboro cross
country work ethic to the best of their ability, the team score
will take care of itself."
As for the men's team, "the level
of success this season falls squarely upon the shoulders of the
seniors," challenged Edinboro coach Doug Watts.
In fact, the veteran coach sees two tiers to
this fall's team profile. The first level is comprised of the
sophomores and freshmen, a group that has the potential to develop
into 'very good National-level ' performers. However, the Edinboro
mentor has never depended on young runners to make or break a team
success - especially since this young group is void of National
Meet experience.
"No," continues Watts, "if
we do well in '05, it will be because our seniors embraced our
past tradition, and came to the early season prepared to work
especially hard and prove they will be able to focus on the little
things that make a team top ten NCAA Division II material."
Ryan Coon enters his last campaign with hopes
to add his third All-American certificate to his wall. Coon ran a
solid race in last year's National Championship, finishing 17th,
to highlight a late season surge that included the Eastern
Regional individual title. The senior was named the Most
Outstanding Runner at the regional.
In fact, Coon has become well known for his
less than spectacular early and mid-season form, and dramatic
improvement in championship weeks late in the year. He showcased
this style in 2005 track when he ran to All-American placing in
the 10,000 at Nationals in Texas despite being well down on the
list of season performances.
"I don't expect any different
pattern this fall either," said Coon. A summer knee problem
and a full-time internship cut back his usual June/July work
ethic. "Our usual training pattern sacrifices September and
October races in favor of putting it together in November, so I
guess I'll just have to 'hurt' a little more in this year's
initial months."
Senior Jared Lowry has shown signs of being
able to earn an All-American award, but hasn't had the good day to
win one yet. A multiple All-PSAC and All-Regional runner over his
career, Lowry remains as a significant member to 2005 team
success. A year ago Lowry garnered All-East Region honors after a
13th place finish.
Last spring, Lowry was foiled by a pinched
nerve in his back, rendering his end of season performance dismal.
Now apparently healthy, expect Lowry to go out a winner in his
last season in an Edinboro uniform.
Jeremy Boehm, the third senior in the lineup,
could turn out in the classic Boro tradition of training
development. In his sophomore and junior years, Boehm showed
inconsistent flashes of running meet prowess. His 60th place
finish at Nationals keyed the Scots to their seventh place finish,
after failing to earn All-conference or all-region accolades Watts
feels he must run near the front pack this fall if the Boro is to
repeat such scoring.
Two juniors must also impact the lead pack. Dan
Field had excellent 2004 cross country runs but was pulled before
Nationals due to strep throat.
David Niemira surprised a lot of people with
his huge improvement from the year before. Niemira sneaked into
the top five a couple of times last fall, and like Boehm, ran well
at the NCAA race.
Another junior who could definitely improve is
Jeff McCabe. "All Jeff needs to do to help our team scoring
is to avoid the numerous illnesses or problems that get in the way
of the competition," stated Watts. McCabe is another of these
mileage-oriented, hard workers, serious runners who have dotted
Edinboro rosters for 35 years.
Watts promises a couple of more surprises with
the sophomores in this year's lineup. John Moneyhon, David Blend
and Nick Hankins didn't get noticed much last year, but Watts is
excited by their improvement.
"These three have top five
potential, and certainly at the least, give us some depth,"
related Watts. "Just how much this group can move up into the
front runners will shape a lower score."
The incoming freshmen boast a couple of
potential stars, both from New York. Travis Projean missed the
2004 high school cross country season but blossomed in track as he
took fourth place in the state meet (4:17) and churned out bests
of 3:59 1500 and 1:56 in the 800. His transition to college's
longer distances remains to be tested, however.
John Arthur ran extremely well in high school
cross country, finishing as class "B" runnerup and
scoring very high in the tough New York Federation Championship.
He also ran fourth in his class in the 3200 this spring. Arthur
seems a perfect fit for the Edinboro style stress training
philosophy.
Almost yearly one can hear Watts pontificate on
the opinion that you win big meets "up front".
In 2005 Edinboro's lineup must find one or two
athletes make the move up to the lead group if the team is to
enjoy its traditional success. |
