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 Mark Drath should be among the front runners on Friday at Mount St. Mary's |
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And They're Off: Cross Country Opens 2007 Season at Mount St. Mary's Friday
Aug. 29, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC - The George Washington University cross country team kicks off their 2007 season on Friday, August 31, when they travel to Emmitsburg, MD, to compete in the Mount St. Mary's 5K Duals. Also set to compete are the host Mountaineers, American, Loyola, Maryland, and UMBC, all of whom will be seen at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet in November. The starting gun will shoot off at approximately 1:00 pm. In a dual race, each team will have a separate individual score against each opposing squad.
The men should be based by junior Chris Pisano, who sat out most of his sophomore season due to injury, and freshman Zach Borenstein, who has had a remarkable summer training season. Also among the GW front runners should be seniors Mark Drath and Joe Altenau, as well as sophomore Andrew Coleman and junior Collin Stevenson.
Pacing the women's squad will be freshman Jessica Stern and junior Audrey Noonan, the GW all-time record holder. Sophomore Meaghan Smith, who led the Colonials at Mount St. Mary's last season, should also be among the front runners for the Colonials.
2007 Outlook
The 2007 edition of the Men's and Women's Cross Country teams will boast a wealth of returning veterans mixed with some young talent. Head Coach Brian Beil expects both squads to improve in the Atlantic 10 Standings with the combination of continued improvement from his returning runners, which includes the first All-Conference performer since 1996, and the addition of a few talented prospects.
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The men finished 10th at the conference championships in 2006 without the talent of junior front-runner, Chris Pisano, who was out due to injury most of the season. Pisano had a spectacular spring track season, setting a program record 14:45 in the 5,000 meters at the Bucknell Invitational. Senior Joe Altenau performed solidly in his stead in 2006, leading the Colonials in the final four races. Altenau should continue to build on his junior season success and be a consistent force again this year. Juniors Collin Stevenson and Keith Moody are both coming off solid spring campaigns after suffering through nagging injuries in 2006. Late in the spring season Stevenson lowered his 8k best time by over a minute, clocking a 25:30, while Moody also set a personal best in the 10k at the Duke Invitational.
Senior twins Christian Woodside and John Woodside, as well as fellow senior Mark Drath also return and should add veteran leadership and depth to a young, talented squad. Drath had a promising season on the track and should carry that momentum through the fall to live up to his full potential.
Andrew Coleman was GW's top freshman last season, leading the Colonials at Mount St. Mary's and taking second at Navy. Coleman was on pace to set a personal record at the conference championships before coming down with a mid-race injury that caused him not to finish. Robbie Lockhart finished third for the team at A-10's in 2006 despite missing a great deal of training due to injury. He returned to peak form over the winter months and should come back to GW as one of the leaders in 2007. Stephen Rutgers missed much of the season due to a muscle pull, but after a summer of training in DC with some of his teammates, he will be fit and looking to make an impact in October for the Colonials.
Beil believes his incoming freshman class should be able to step in and have an immediate impact. Among the newcomers is All-American Zach Borenstein from Scarsdale, New York. Borenstein finished fourth at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships by clocking a 15:14 in the 5000 meters, and should join Pisano as one of the squad's front-runners. Adam Mickley and Andrew Zahornacky will also be joining the Colonials in 2007, and will compete for spots in the top seven.
The women return eight from last year's Carnegie Mellon Invitational championship team, including program-record holder and Carnegie Mellon Invitational champion, Audrey Noonan. Noonan recorded the fastest time in Colonials history finishing in 18:14.8. The following week, the Barrington, RI, native finished seventh at the A10 Championships in 18:19.2, another school record. GW will look for a similar performance from the seventh place finisher at A10s to move up the conference ranks.
Seniors Mae Polhemus and Michelle Concannon also return for their final season with the Colonials. In an injury plagued junior season, Polhemus and Concannon competed in a combined six races, but still managed to score well in those races. Polhemus came back to set a personal record at Carnegie Mellon, in just her second race from injury. Both veterans will be among the top five for the Colonials this year. Fellow senior Katie Walsh has improved each season while sporting the buff and blue, and she will provide much needed veteran leadership and depth.
A gifted mixture of sophomores will look to build from their freshman success. Meaghan Smith had a great track season, setting a new personal record in the 5K by over a minute and a half. Smith's progress, dating back to last fall season, has Beil extremely confident that she will be among the front-runners for GW this year. Kelly Wills and Erica Freebury both improved drastically over the 2006 season, and their progress should continue this year. Walk-on Madelyn Healy should also provide depth for the Colonials.
Among the newcomers who should make an immediate impact for the women is Jessica Stern of Melbourne, FL. Stern finished third at the Florida 3A Championships, leading the Satellite Scorpions to their second straight state title in her senior season. The All-State selection should keep pace with Noonan to form a solid 1-2 punch. Laura Petrik, Nicole Marquand, Estelle Faulkner and Phillipa Spencer should also make an immediate impact as they walk onto campus in 2007.
