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Men's & Women's Cross Country
2009 IONA MEET OF CHAMPIONS PREVIEW
KU
ready to challenge nation's elite
By Marissa Kenney
KUTZTOWN, PA. (September 18, 2009) --
The Kutztown University cross-country squads will hit the road this
weekend, when they travel to Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N. Y. on
Saturday to compete in the 15th annual Br. John Doyle
Iona College Meet of Champions hosted by Iona College.
Slated for a 9:30
a.m. shotgun start, the women will compete on the 6-kilometer course
against some of the nation’s elite programs, including Yale
University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, The
United States Naval Academy, Rider University, Rutgers University
and Loyola University. The Golden Bears and rival Edinboro
University are the only two teams representing the Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
In last year’s event, the Penn State women finished
in first place with a total of 40 points, placing three runners in
the top 10. Cornell University finished four runners in the top
twenty, finishing in second place overall. Both teams are not
entered in the meet this year.
Kutztown last competed in this event in 2007, placing
seventh overall. Junior Kristin Cupido (Bridgewater,
N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and
senior teammate Maureen Watson (Walnutport/Allentown
Central Catholic),
finished in top 100. Cupido crossed the finish line in 24 minutes,
8.4 seconds and Watson finished the race in 24:16.4.
Watson along with senior Cheryl Dingman
(Lansdale/North Penn) and senior Steph Grimm
(Fleetwood/Oley Valley) will not participate in this meet.
The
Golden Bears have started strong this season. At the Lehigh Valley
Championships they finished in third place. Last weekend at the
Maroon and Gold Invitational, junior Cristina Reimer (Chester
Springs/Downingtown East), and Grimm, finished first and second,
respectively. Senior Lauren Ayers (Ocean Twp, N.J/Ocean Twp),
placed fifth. The Golden Bears walked away from the meet with first
place. Struggling to overcome pre-season injuries, Coach Ray Hoffman
is rotating the runners per match, until the team is healthy enough
to run together as a unit.
The Meet of Champions will mark the second race of
the season for the men. Coming off of a successful meet last weekend
at the Maroon and Gold Invitational by placing first, the Golden
Bears are hoping this weekend will prove successful.
Although Hoffman has emphasized that this is a
rebuilding year for the men, last weekend the Golden Bears had six
runners finish in the top 10. Senior Ben Loht (Lewistown/Indian
Valley), finished first with a time of 27:27.4. Junior Kevin
Rodgers (Clifton Heights/Upper Darby), finished in second place
(28:08.8). Sophomore Ryan Reich (Oley/Oley Valley), secured
third place, (28:12.3), for the Golden Bears.
Sophomore Frank Nick (Kintnersville/Palisades),
and freshman Joe Dyas (Westampton/Rancocas Valley), stayed
near the front of the pack by also finishing among the top 10.
Sophomore Eli Weeks (Pottstown/Owen J.
Roberts), who hasn’t
raced since high school, competed for the first time in two years
and showed promising results, with a finish of sixth place.
The KU men finished 13th place in 2007 at
this meet. Loht and Rodgers know the course from previous
experience. Loht finished the race with a time of 27:49.4. Rodgers
completed the race in 28:27.4. Last year’s champion, University of
Michigan and second place winners, Penn State University, will not
be returning.
The Kutztown squad comes back to the area on Friday,
October 2 for the Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh
University. The Golden Bears will then have two more meets before
performing at the PSAC Championships.
--KU--
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