SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – Both the Susquehanna University men's and women's cross country teams will be competing at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships this Saturday, November 13, at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md. The women's race will start at 11 a.m., with the men set for a noon start.
In men's competition, the top two teams and first six individual finishers at Saturday's meet will qualify automatically for the NCAA Division III Championship meet on Saturday, November 20, at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. The top three teams and first four individual finishers Saturday will make nationals in the women's competition.
Under new head coach Craig Penney, the Crusader women equaled the program's best finish at the recent Middle Atlantic Conference Championships, placing fourth out of 13 teams. While the men's team was just 10th, its top runner and sophomore Mike Lehtonen (Laurens, N.Y./Morris Central H.S.) was unable to compete the race.
Penney is hoping his women's team can place in the top 10 this Saturday, with both freshman Erin Colwell (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.) and senior captain Sarah Costello (Palmyra/Palmyra H.S.) contending for individual spots at nationals. He is optimistic his men's team will be competitive as well.
"I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I thought Erin (Colwell) had a shot at nationals – Sarah (Costello) too. At this level, that's (making nationals) very difficult, but we've worked this week to get them get ready to go this weekend," said Penney, who has coached seven national qualifiers and one All-American in cross country prior to coming to Susquehanna. "I'm hoping the women can go out and establish themselves as one of the top teams in the region, and I'm sure the men will be ready to go race."
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
Colwell and Costello have been battling all season for the team's top spot.
Colwell had the squad's best finish at MAC Championships, placing 12th with a time of 20:21.86 over the 5,000-meter course. She also won the team's 85-runner Susquehanna University Invitational on October 2, and has a season best time of 19:58.56 at the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational on September 18.
Costello has the team's fastest time this season with a 19:49.70 at Penn State. She finished second to Colwell at the Susquehanna Invitational, and was 18th at MACs on October 30 with a time of 20:27.85. She hasn't missed a beat despite missing all of last year while studying abroad.
Freshman Angela Luino (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills H.S.) has settled in as the team's number-three runner, placing 31st at the conference meet with a time of 21:17.61. Luino was fifth at the team's own invitational this season, and has a season best time of 20:21.55 at Dickinson on October 9.
Yet another freshman, Erin Howard (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson H.S.) was fourth at MACs, placing 38th with a season best time of 21:28.93. She was 16th at the Susquehanna Invitational.
The team's top runner from last season has had a tough time regaining her form as sophomore Kim Owen (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin H.S.) was 45th at the recent conference championships with a time of 21:46.83. Owen earned All-MAC honors a year ago while placing 10th at the conference meet (20:32.2).
Senior Jen Haas (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley H.S.) and sophomore Delina Cefaratti (Topton/Brandywine Heights H.S.) round out the team's contingent at regionals. A track distance runner who is running cross country for the first time at Susquehanna, Haas has made steady progress as she placed 47th at MACs with a time of 21:54.25. Cefaratti was 56th at the conference meet with a time of 22:17.81.
MEN'S PREVIEW
Lehtonen has been the top runner all season for the Crusader men, up until MACs, running a season best time of 27:30.06 at the Allentown Invitational on October 17. Also with a sixth-place finish out of 59 runners at the team's own Susquehanna Invitational on October 2, Lehtonen was unable to finish at MAC Championships due to extreme dehydration.
In Lehtonen's absence, freshman Luke Peterson (Huntingdon Valley/Lower Moreland H.S.) was the team's top finisher at the conference meet, placing 37th with a season best time of 29:06.41. Peterson has made steady progress during the season and appears to be running his best at the right time.
Sophomore Jake Trevino (Danville/Danville H.S.) joined Lehtonen as the team's lone representatives to regionals last season, and is back this year after placing 38th at MACs with a time of 29:08.72. Trevino has gone as fast as 28:45.28 at Penn State's Spiked Shoe Invitational on September 18.
Seniors Matt Woolley (Branchville, N.J./Pope John XXIII H.S.) and co-captains Jamie Yoder (Turbotville/Warrior Run H.S.) and Ryan Neumyer (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley H.S.) round out the men's contingent. They all finished tightly packed at MACs, with Neumyer placing 47th (29:40.25), Woolley 49th (29:46.51) and Yoder 61st (30:02.60).
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