SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – New head coach Craig Penney and his Susquehanna University men’s and women’s cross country teams needed a meet just to see where they stood. While both teams finished seventh in their respective competitions last Saturday at the Kutztown Maroon and Gold Invitationals, the women were second among Division III teams, while the men were fourth.
You can’t blame Penney for wanting to take some time to get to see what his athletes can do. After all, he became the program’s new head coach just days before preseason camp began and he’s just gotten to know their names, let alone what they can do.
Kutztown was a barometer for him so he knows exactly what kind of strategy he can plan for the ultimate goal – making a good showing at the prestigious Penn State Invitational in two weeks, and hopefully being in a position for an upper echelon finish at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships on October 30.
The women’s team is hoping to build on the momentum of equaling its best finish at the conference championships a year ago – placing fifth out of 14 teams – while making the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional. The men repeated their ninth-place finish of 1997, but qualified a pair of freshmen for the regional championships.
“I think we feel pretty good right now about where we are and what we’ve accomplished. Our goal is obviously to do well at the conference meet,” said Penney, who guided The College of Wooster to its first two conference championships in cross country and has coached seven national qualifiers and one All-American during his previous 15 years of experience.
“I’ve talked with the kids and they’re not satisfied with this program’s past. They want to take the next step and get to the next tier. We’ve wiped the slate clean and have started from Point A towards our goal of doing well at the conference meet. It’s my job to challenge them in practice so they’re ready to run their butts off at that (conference) meet.”
MEN’S OUTLOOK
The men return their top four runners from a year ago, led by sophomores Jake Trevino (Danville/Danville H.S.) and Mike Lehtonen (Morris, N.Y./Morris Central H.S.), who were 33rd (28:45.9) and 34th (28:47.7) respectively at the MAC Championships a year ago – qualifying each for regionals in their rookie seasons. Lehtonen was 18th at Kutztown last Saturday, covering the five-mile course in 28:27, while Trevino was 27th with a time of 28:53.
Senior co-captains Jamie Yoder (Turbotville/Warrior Run H.S.) and Ryan Neumyer (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley H.S.) were the team’s next highest finishers at MACs a year ago, placing 46th (29:23.8) and 56th (:29.52.9) respectively. Both missed the Kutztown event last Saturday – Yoder with a foot injury and Neumyer from another scheduling conflict – but both have impressed Penney thus far with their work ethics and leadership.
“I’ve been just getting great leadership from all the captains of both teams during my transition. They’ve done a great job and I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Penney. “There seems to be very good chemistry between Ryan and Jamie and they’re doing a very good job as leaders.”
Freshman Luke Peterson (Huntingdon Valley/Lower Moreland H.S.) was third among the Crusaders and 51st overall at Kutztown (30:13). He now tops a group of some five runners all battling for the team’s number-five spot.
Others battling for that fifth spot include senior Matt Woolley (Branchville, N.J./Pope John XXIII H.S.); and sophomores Matt Evans (Coopersburg/Southern Lehigh H.S.), a transfer from the University of Vermont; Rob Logan (Mountain Top/Crestwood Area H.S.), who posted the top singles record on the Crusader men’s tennis team last spring; and Mark Norman (Liberty/Liberty H.S.). Among that group, Logan was 59th at Kutztown (30:36), Woolley 68th (31:24), and Evans 69th (31:24).
WOMEN’S OUTLOOK
Senior Sarah Costello (Palmyra/Palmyra H.S.) is back after missing last fall’s season while taking part in the Susquehanna at London Program. Costello is the team captain and has regained her position as the team’s top runner, placing 10th as the squad’s top finisher at Kutztown with a time of 24:41 over the six-kilometer course. She was 47th at MACs as a sophomore (22:29.7).
Pushing Costello for that top spot is freshman Erin Colwell (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.), who finished just two spots behind her in 12th (24:48) last Saturday.
Last season’s top runner is also back in sophomore Kim Owen (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin H.S.). Owen earned All-MAC honors a year ago while placing 10th at the conference meet (20:32.2). She was 98th at the regional meet last season (21:19.16).
Sophomore Delina Cefaratti (Topton/Brandywine Heights H.S.) is the probable number-four runner and was a letterwinner a year ago in her rookie season. Her best placement was 19th at the Susquehanna Invitational.
Senior Jen Haas (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley H.S.) is out for the cross-country team this season for the first time after being a track and field distance runner for her first three seasons. Either Haas or freshman Angela Luino (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills H.S.) will be the team’s number-five runner. Luino was 37th Saturday (26:41) at Kutztown in her collegiate debut, while Haas was 44th (27:16).
Freshmen Rebecca Abrecht (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick H.S.) and Sara Hasert (Churchville, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) will also contend for top five positions this season.
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