Cross Country Looks to Continue Success in 2008 :: Women Seek to Defend Back-to-Back MAC Titles

Aug. 21, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - The women's cross country team is coming off back-to-back MAC championships and looking to go for a third, as it returns three of four All-MAC performers from last season. Juniors Annie Beecham (Granville, Ohio) and Kari Summers (Troy, Ohio) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, at last year's MAC Championship in Mount Pleasant, Mich., earning them first-team All-MAC honors. Julia Weisenborn (Bowling Green, Ohio) returns as a senior this year after garnering second-team All-MAC honors for her 14^th place finish at the conference championship in '07.

The squad returns runners who recorded a total of eight top-ten finishes from last season, with Summers and Beecham each recording three and seniors Melissa Hornor (Hilliard, Ohio) and Kelly Friedmann (Cincinnati, Ohio) earning one apiece. Along with the MAC Championship, the Bobcats took home first place at the Mel Brodt Invite at Bowling Green. They also notched two runner-up performances at the Ohio Invitational and the All-Ohio Championships.

Head Coach Clay Calkins, in his sixth year with the program, feels optimistic about the team's MAC title defense. "The women will be trying hard to win their third consecutive MAC Championship this year," said Calkins. "We have a strong group of upperclassmen coupled with some great incoming freshmen. This combination should equate into success for us."

The men's team looks to improve upon its fourth place finish at last year's MAC championship that was highlighted by the runner-up finish of Craig Leon, who made it all the way to the NCAA Nationals as part of his First Team All-MAC season in his final year. They will miss him this year, but the Bobcats return two top-five upperclassmen, junior Ridge Robinson (Navarre, Ohio) and senior Shamus Eaton (Uniontown, Ohio), who both notched top-ten finishes last year.

As a team, they recorded three top-five showings in seven meets. Coach Calkins hopes to see improvement in the conference standings helped by the incoming freshmen. "On the men's team, we will be trying to move up in the MAC standings throughout the year. Our team is talented up top, but we will need our top recruits to fill in to round out the team," he commented.

In the 2008 Preseason Poll, the Ohio women are picked to finish second behind last year's MAC runner-up Akron, as voted on by the league's head cross country coaches. The men are picked to finish sixth, with Eastern Michigan, the three-time defending champion, atop the poll.

The Bobcats open the season with the Green and White Invite in Athens on September 13^th starting at 10:30 a.m.

2008 Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

1. Akron

2. Ohio

3. Miami

4. Toledo

5. Ball State

6. Central Michigan

7. Bowling Green

8. Kent State

9. Western Michigan

10. Eastern Michigan

11. Buffalo

12. Northern Illinois

2008 Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

1. Eastern Michigan

2. Miami

T3. Central Michigan

T3. Kent State

5. Akron

6. Ohio

7. Buffalo

8. Toledo

9. Bowling Green