Women's Cross Country Hits the Ground Running this Weekend

INDIANAPOLIS--After Loyola ran away with the Horizon League Cross Country Championships in 2012, this year’s race at Youngstown State on November 2 appears to be more wide open.

Eight of the nine Horizon League women’s cross country teams were scheduled to begin their season this weekend. However, the UIC Season Opener was postponed with a make-up date not announced. Therefore; UIC, Green Bay and Milwaukee will have to wait to open their season.

Oakland

Oakland opens up its 2013 campaign Friday at home for the Golden Grizzly Classic. The women’s race is slated for 5:30 p.m., at the OU Cross Country Facility. Teams scheduled to participate in the classic field include Oakland and Detroit. Teams in the open field include Macomb Community College, Oakland Community College, Kirtland Community College, and Mott Community College.

Team Breakdown

Brittni Hutton (Highland, Mich.) was The Summit League’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year 2012. Hutton, along with four other Grizzles have since graduated from a team who took fourth- place at The Summit League Championship. The Grizzlies have seven freshmen on their roster and are expected to be led by sophomore Miranda Haas (Pinckney, Mich). Haas finished in the top four in six of her seven races. Her best finish was at her collegiate debut at the Golden Grizzly Open with a 4K time of 15:27.1, good for seventh place.

For a preview of the Golden Grizzly Open, visit http://www.ougrizzlies.com/sports/c-xc/spec-rel/082913aae.html

Cleveland State

The Vikings will join Cincinnati Christian, Dayton, Denison, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Ohio State, Wittenberg, Wright State and Xavier at the Dayton Flyer 5K Challenge on Saturday.

Team Breakdown

Cleveland State returns six runners from last year’s roster that had only one senior. Junior Tori Holt (Mount Vernon, Ohio) is the top returning Viking. Holt registered a twenty-fourth place finish at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships. Other runners of note include Junior Katie Webb (Coopley, Ohio) who registered a career best 5K time of 19:53 at the 2012 Otterbein Invitational and sophomore Ashley Lydic (Columbiana, Ohio) who had an individual best 5K time of 19:54 at the 2012 Friendship Invitational.

For a full preview, visit http://www.csuvikings.com/sports/w-xc/2013-14/releases/20130829tli1r0

Wright State

Wright State joins Cleveland State as the two Horizon League participants at the Dayton Flyer 5K Challenge on Saturday.

Team Breakdown

Wright State returns six runners from last year’s squad that finished eighth place at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships. Sophomore Brittany Bailey (Botkins, Ohio) was the top finishing Raider at the 2012 Horizon League Championships, finishing in twenty-eighth- place. The freshman’s best finish was a seventh place showing at the Friendship Invitational.

Valparaiso

Valparaiso is the lone Horizon League School not participating in an event this weekend. The Crusaders will instead open their 2013 season next Friday at home for the Crusader Open.

Team Breakdown

Junior Jessica Richardson (Columbus, Ind.), a first-team all-league section in 2012, is the top returning runner for the Crusaders. Not only is she the top returning runner for Valpo based on her fourth place finish at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships, she’s the top returning runner in the League. The Columbus, Ind. native was the fastest Crusader in all six races for Valpo. Her best finish was a second place showing at the Evansville Invitational, where she ran the 5K course in a time of 18:09.15.

Milwaukee

Milwaukee was set to join Horizon League members Green Bay and UIC at the UIC Home Opener on Saturday in Palos Heights, Ill, but the race was postponed.  Instead, Milwaukee will open up their season September 14 at the Falcon Invitational in Mequon, Wis. The race is slated for 11:00 a.m.

Team Breakdown

Milwaukee nearly brings back its entire roster from a team that finished in sixth place at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships. The Panthers are expected to be led by senior Sammy Woller (New Berlin, Wis.), who led the team in five of the six races, and was a second-team all-league selection.

For a full team preview, visit http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-xc/spec-rel/083013aaa.html

Green Bay

Green Bay was to open their season at the UIC Home Opener, but the race was postponed. Instead, the Phoenix will open their season at the Badger Season Opener in Madison, Wis. next Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Team Breakdown

Coming off a fifth place finish at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships which featured three freshman two sophomore, Green Bay should be in the mix come November. The Phoenix graduated its top runner in Areanna Lakowske (Sparta, Wis.), but junior Nicole Will (Luxemburg, Wis.) and sophomore Sarah Mauel (Green Bay, Wis.) return for the Phoenix. The returning duo placed twenty-second and twenty-sixth, respectively, at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships.

Detroit

The Titans open their season in-state at the Golden Grizzly Open hosted by Oakland University.

Team Breakdown

The Titans come into the season with an experienced cast, led by five seniors and a pair of juniors. In all, four of the top seven runners from last year’s squad that placed fourth at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships are back, including first-team all-league selection Louisa Coopola (Warren, Mich.). Coopola, who enters her senior season, was the first Titan since 2005 to record a top-five finish at League Championships.

For a complete season-preview, visit http://www.detroittitans.com/news/2013/8/29/WXC_0829134209.aspx

Youngstown State

The Penguins travel to Pittsburg Pa., for their season opener at the Duquesne Duals. The race is scheduled for 9:45a.m. on Saturday. 

Team Breakdown

Youngstown State returns six of seven runners from the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships, a race in which the Penguins took third place. Three of those runners were named second-team all-league.

Brittany Stockmaster (Attica, Ohio) had a consistent 2012 campaign for the Penguins placing eight at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships with a time of 18:33. The Penguins also return all-league runners senior Monica Ciarneiello (Lowelville, Ohio) and senior Katey Heney (Boardman, Ohio).

UIC

The UIC Home Opener scheduled for Saturday was postponed. With no make-up date announced, the Flames will open their season at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships in Normal, Ill. The race is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

Team Breakdown

After a second place showing at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships, the Flames return four runners who were all-league selections. Expected to lead the Flames are juniors Tess Ehrhardt (Geneva, Ill.), Rebecca Zaiter (Elmhurst, Ill.) who placed sixth and tenth respectively at the 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championship and sophomores Emma Preston (East Peoria, Ill) and Lauren Lindhom (Aurora, Ill.) placed ninth and twelfth, respectively.

For a preview of the UIC Home Opener, visit http://www.uicflames.com/sports/m-track/spec-rel/082913aaa.html

A Glance at 2012:

2012 Horizon League Women’s Championship Results

Loyola                         28

UIC                             53

Youngstown State      116

Detroit                         132

Green Bay                   145

Milwaukee                  147

Valparaiso                   163

Wright State                184

Cleveland State           208

Top Returning Runners from 2012 Horizon League Cross Country Championships

Place                Year    Name                                       School                         Time

4                      Jr.        Jessica Richardson                  Valparaiso                   18:18

5                      Sr.        Louisa Coppola                       Detroit                         18:18

6                      Jr.        Tess Ehrhardt                          UIC                             18:20

8                      Jr.        Brittany Stockmaster              Youngstown State      18:33

9                      So.       Emma Peterson                       UIC                             18:34

10                    Jr.        Rebecca Zaiter                        UIC                             18:41

11                    Sr.        Monica Ciarneiello                  Youngstown State      18:42

12                    So.       Lauren Lindholm                    UIC                             18:44

13                    Sr.        Samantha Woller                     Milwaukee                  18:49

14                    Jr.        Katey Heney                           Youngstown State      18:50