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EDINBORO, PA – For Edinboro University
cross country coach Doug Watts, it’s the second season, and
really the only part of the season that matters to him. The
Fighting Scot harriers will compete in the PSAC Championships on
Saturday, October 29.
Slippery Rock is hosting the championship,
which will be run at Cooper’s Lake Campground. The women’s
race (6000 meters) gets underway at 10:00 a.m., with the men’s
race (8000 meters) to follow at 11:00 a.m.
A year ago the women’s team turned in a
dominating performance at the PSAC Championships, winning their
seventh straight title as five runners finished in the top tean
and all seven runners were in the top 18. Edinboro totaled 26
points, with Slippery Rock a distant second at 114 points. The
stunning victory sent the Fighting Scots off on a memorable
postseason run, as a week later they would win the East Regional
championship, and two weeks after that finished second at the NCAA
Division II National Championships.
Edinboro returns its top five runners from last
year’s PSAC championships, although a couple are not in top
form. Watts admits that the women’s team has an excellent
choice of coming away with its eighth straight crown.
“The women are again the
prohibitive favorites,” the veteran coach commented. “We
have power up front and limited depth, compared to last year. Julie
Nemergut (Youngstown, OH/South Range) was the Athlete of the
Year last year after winning the individual title, and Rachael
Lanzel was the Rookie of the Year in the PSAC. Kelly Richards
(Edinboro, PA/General McLane) is a three-time all-conference
performer. Heather Wilmoth (Sugar Grove, PA/Eisenhower)
has been injured and will not run at her level from last year. The
big surprise and our big hope is Michele Kelly (Carlisle, PA/
Carlisle). She has come from nowhere to being on the verge of
all-conference. We have four running very well. Plus Lindsay
Roberts (Wattsburg, PA/Seneca) is coming back. This will be
her first cross country race of the year.”
A year Nemergut placed first, while Richards
was fourth, Lanzel fifth, Wilmoth sixth, and Roberts tenth. If
this group is to be challenged, Watts sees it coming from
Indiana(Pa.).
“IUP is the team threat,” he
predicted. “They have seven runners, and two up front
runners. At the Buffalo State Invitational they were right behind
us.”
Watts is not as optimistic about the men’s
chances. After winning eleven straight PSAC titles from 1992-2002,
Edinboro has finished second the last two years.
“I don’t know what the hell
we’re going to do,” Watts stated bluntly. “We have
been struggling. But the reason I can’t predict is we haven’t
run a race in four weeks. We trained that way. Lock Haven has the
depth, and Shippensburg has the leaders. We’re still training
with Nationals in mind.”
Not that Edinboro doesn’t have quality
runners. A year ago Ryan Coon (Clymer, NY/ Sherman) fell,
yet rallied to finish third. The senior’s reputation is to
step up his performance in the big races at the end of the year. A
summer illness has further affected his conditioning this fall.
“Ryan Coon is not quite as fit,”
Watts admitted. “He’s known for being mediocre and
then coming in late in the year. The question is, can he do it
three years in a row? If he can, we’re in there.
“We have a good group with Jared
Lowry (North Canton, OH/North Canton Hoover) and John
Moneyhon (Columbus, OH/Dublin Coffman), who will be in the
top ten. Dan Field (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) was an
all-conference and all-region runner last year. But you win up
front, so I just don’t know.”
Field came in 13th a year ago. Lowry struggled
at the PSAC’s and came in 18th.
Following the PSAC Championships, Edinboro will
compete in the east Regional Championships at Lock Haven
University on November 5.
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