Cross Country
2007 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships
at Kutztown University - North Campus Course
October 27, 2007

last updated 03/25/08

Schedule Championship Preview Directions to KU PSAC Cross Country Webpage Regional Rankings: MEN | WOMEN National Rankings: MEN | WOMEN Complete Results: MEN | WOMEN   Recaps:  MEN | WOMEN | PHOTOS

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Kutztown University to host 2007 PSAC Cross Country Championships 

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University is the site for the 2007 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships.  The races will take place on Saturday, Oct. 27, on KU’s North Campus Course.

                The women’s 6,000-meter race starts at 10 a.m., followed by the men’s 8,000-meter race at 11 a.m.   Admission is free, while parking and a championship program will be $5 per car.  Additional programs are $2 each.   

Women’s Team  Preview

                Edinboro has been the most dominant women’s team in PSAC cross country history, winning the last nine championships and 15 overall crowns since the first title was awarded in 1980.  However, the Fighting Scots will likely get a heavy dose of competition from Kutztown, which has spent the bulk of the 2007 season as the highest ranked team in the East Region, including a No. 11 designation in the Oct. 23 poll released by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association. 

In order to dethrone Edinboro, Kutztown’s Joanna Horstmann, Stephanie Williams and Kristin Cupido will have to match strategy with the ‘Boro’s Rachael Lanzel and company if they are to be successful.   Horstman and Williams are returning All-PSAC performers. 
                Also waiting to pounce into the team title hunt is a quality squad from Bloomsburg.  The Huskies will have a good chance to break into the fray with an experienced group of runners who are ranked second in the region and No. 13 in Division II.  Three-time All-PSAC runner Amber Hackenberg and Beth Schwing, who was 10^th at PSACs and regionals in 2006, are among the expected front runners. 

                Edinboro, which historically has had great success in the post season, enters the meet ranked third in the region and No. 14 in Division II.  In addition to Lanzel, last year’s individual champion, the Fighting Scots will look for contributions from Becca Nungesser, Ashley Ferraro and Kristine Beringer.  The latter three earned All-PSAC honors a year ago in helping Edinboro retain its championship streak.        

                A group of four or five other teams also have aspirations for top finishes.  East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg, Millersville and Indiana (Pa.), with Clarion also in the mix, will all be jockeying for position.  Each team has a quality strength – Millersville, Shippensburg, Clarion with stellar front runners, while ESU and IUP have quality packs – but where each team’s No. 5 runner finishes may determine the order of finish.  Slippery Rock and Lock Haven have shown promise during the regular season, but may be hampered in the team standings by a lack of depth. 

                Mansfield and West Chester look to make noise in team races, with both teams likely to need a standout race from their packs to move up in the standings.  California (Pa.) and Cheyney round out the team competitors.   

Individual Title

                The race within the race is for the individual title, and the battle of the day just might be for the women’s individual crown.   All-America runners Erin Richard (Clarion) and Lanzel could go gun to wire alongside each other in a show of elite athletes up front. Others who could be in the mix if the door is opened up front are Kutztown’s Williams and Horstmann, along with Shippensburg freshman Abby Huber.   

Men’s Team  Preview

                The 50^th championship season of PSAC men’s cross country will be marked today.  The celebration will be highlighted with an expected epic battle between two of the top 10 teams in the country in Edinboro and Slippery Rock. 

                Perennial power Edinboro has come out on top more often than not, winning 25 of the previous 49 championships.  From 1984-2002, The Scots won a whopping 18 of 19 titles.  However, it has been Lock Haven that has won the team title the past four years to derail the ‘Boro train.  This year Slippery Rock seeks its first crown since 1991, which marked the only blip on Edinboro’s impressive 19-year run. 

                Led by Jeff Weiss and Pat Reagan, Slippery Rock was ranked No. 5 in the nation and first in the region in the Oct. 23 poll by the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.  Weiss, a two-time All-American, is a past PSAC Champion, winning the title in 2005 before finishing second last fall. 

                In order to run with the Rock’s leaders, Edinboro All-American Dave Niemera and Josh Arthur will be truly tested.  Edinboro was ranked ninth in Division II and second in the region in the most recent polls.  The key will be which team can get its scoring five among the top 15 to score less than 50 points. 

                Who will be the 2007 champion appears to be a two-way way battle, yet the competition for the next several spots will be just as heated, with any of eight teams batting for third place. 

                The four-time defending champions from Lock Haven have some NCAA experience on the squad in Brandon Pomerantz and Shawn More, and will not give up the title defense without a fight.

                East Stroudsburg and Mansfield have the luxury of having national caliber front runners in Iuri Pinto and Chris Cummings, respectively, but both teams will need big efforts from their fourth and fifth runners to be a factor in the team standings.  West Chester’s Tom Pearson has had an outstanding regular season and if he parlays that success into the postseason, the Golden Rams will have an addition to the top 10 individuals and help propel the team to the upper echelon. Shippensburg has two of its top three runners taking a medical redshirt, which will surely limit the Red Raiders’ chances.  

                The Golden Bears of Kutztown are looking for the home course advantage that may move a talented group to a surprise finish.  Bloomsburg and Millersville will go as far as their packs can take them.  If either team gets all five in the top third of the event, they could be pushing their way among the top of this group.  California (Pa.) has shown some promise during early October and could be a team that may be moving toward a new high for the Vulcans.  

                Cheyney and Indiana (Pa.) are in a rebuilding mode.  Finishing in the top 10 for the Wolves or Crimson Hawks would be a starting point for their futures. 

Individual Title

                Can anyone run with Slippery Rock’s Jeff Weiss?  That is the question for the individual title.  Those with the best chance are Mansfield’s Cummings, East Stroudsburg’s Pinto and Edinboro’s Niemira, as well as Weiss’ teammate Reagan.  West Chester’s Pearson, a senior, also would like to add an individual title to his collegiate resume.

EDINBORO MEN POST 33 POINTS, EDGE OUT SLIPPERY ROCK FOR PSAC TITLE

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Edinboro men’s cross country team placed three of its runners in the top five to slip past Slippery Rock and win its 26th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship Saturday at Kutztown University.

With 33 points, Edinboro edged out Slippery Rock (41) in the 50th running of the PSAC Championship. Slippery Rock’s Matt Bluman won the individual title and race MVP with a time of 26:18. Dave Niemira, of Edinboro, was the runner up at 26:21.

The KU men’s team finished ninth with 220 points, ahead of Millersville, West Chester and Indiana (Pa.)

Lock Haven, the conference’s defending champion, finished third with 103, while Shippensburg (132) and Bloomsburg (181) rounded out the top five. East Stroudsburg (191) was sixth, ahead of Mansfield (195) and California (Pa.), which scored a 217.

Patrick Bone (sr. Doylestown/Central Bucks West) led the Golden Bears with his 22nd-place finish at 27:28, ahead of teammate Tom Mooney (fr. Churchville/Council Rock South), who was 27th at 27:46.

Matt Cocciardi (fr. York/York Suburban) took 43rd at 28:22, while Kevin Rodgers (fr. Clifton Heights/Upper Darby) was 63rd with a time of 28:55. Three second behind him was Tim Ballingall (fr. Downingtown/Downingtown East) in 65th.

Ben Loht (so. Lewistown/Indian Valley) and John Pyne (jr. Harrisburg/Bishop McDevitt) finished three seconds apart as well, with Loht taking 70th at 29:08. Pyne was 71st.

BLOOMSBURG ENDS EDINBORO'S NINE-YEAR RUN, WINS PSAC TITLE

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Kutztown University women’s cross country team struggled Saturday, finishing fifth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship Saturday at Kutztown University.

Bloomsburg had four runners finish will All-PSAC honors (top 20) to post 65 points and claim the women’s PSAC Championship. Indiana (Pa.) finished second with 99 points, just ahead of Edinboro (102) in the 6K race. Edinboro streak of titles ended at nine with Saturday’s third-place finish.

Erin Richard, of Clarion University, won the individual championship and was named the race’s MVP with her time of 23:02. Edinboro’s Rachael Lanzel was the runner-up at 23:18.

The Kutztown women, ranked No. 1 in the region, had 122 points. Stephanie Williams (sr. Harrisburg/Riverside) and Joanna Horstmann (jr. Downingtown/Downingtown West) earned All-PSAC honors, with Williams finishing 10th in a time of 24:29 and Horstmann 14th at 24:33.

Hailey Dell (jr. Saranac Lake, N.Y./Saranac Lake) finished 28th at 25:28. Maureen Watson (so. Walnutport/Allentown Central Catholic) was 33rd with a time of 25:39 and Kristin Cupido (fr. Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan Reg.) was 10 seconds behind Watson in 37th place.

Jolene Collins (so. Annville/Palmyra) and Kristin Green (jr. Camp Hill/Camp Hill) rounded out the Golden Bears top seven.

Shippensburg (112), Millersville (159), Clarion (168), East Stroudsburg (210) and Lock Haven (213) complete the top 10 team finishes. West Chester, Mansfield, California (Pa.) and Cheyney followed.

PHOTOS

     Matt Bluman                Dave Niemira           Erin Richard          Rachael Lanzel
     Slippery Rock                 Edinboro                   Clarion                  Edinboro
Men's PSAC Champion     Men's runner-up         Women's PSAC       Women's runner-up
                                                                                               Champion

             2007 MEN'S CHAMPION - EDINBORO

             2007 WOMEN'S CHAMPION - BLOOMSBURG

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