[Kutztown Press Release] KU CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP

[Josh Leiboff]

October 26, 2006

 

KU CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP

KUTZTOWN, PA - The Kutztown University men and women's cross country teams will travel to Bloomsburg for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships on Saturday, October 28.

            According to the most recent U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II cross country rankings, Kutztown's women are ranked 11th, their highest ranking for the program on record, as well as the highest current ranking among PSAC teams.  KU's men are unranked.  

            The women have finished in the top 10 in four of five events this season, including a first place finish at the Maroon & Gold Invitational and a second at the season-opening Lehigh Valley Championships.  Their only finish outside of the top 10 was a 20th place finish at the Paul Short Invitational, against mostly Division I competition.  Stephanie Williams (jr. Harrisburg/Riverside) has been KU's front-runner in all five events this season.  She has three top-five finishes including a second at the season opening Lehigh Valley Championships and a first-place finish at the Maroon & Gold Invitational at her home course the following week.  She has beaten her career best time in the 6,000-meter race three times this year, including her best time of 20:59.7 at the Lafayette Invitational.  

            Keeping pace with Williams have been teammates Cheryl Dingman (so. Lansdale/North Penn) and Joanna Horstmann (so. Downingtown/Downingtown West).  They placed sixth and third at the Lehigh Valley Championships and sixth and third at the Maroon & Gold Invitational, respectively. Dingman has placed in the top 20 in three meets with her best time being 21:33.3 at the Lafayette Invitational. Horstmann finished sixth in last year's PSAC Championships to earn All-PSAC honors.  This season, she has placed in the top five in two meets and placed 21st at another with her best time of 21:44.8 coming at the Lafayette Invitational.  Senior Desiree Bower (Bethel/Tulpehocken) has one top-10 finish, a 14th place finish and a 25th place finish with her best time of 22:00.8 coming at Lafayette.  Senior Chelsea Thomas' (Sellersville/Pennridge) best time of 22:02.9 also came at the Lafayette Invitational.  In addition, her season best finish is 11th, to go along with 16th and 26th place finishes.

            Freshmen Maureen Watson (Walnutport/Allentown Central Catholic) and Jolene Collins (Palmyra/Palmyra) round out KU's top seven.  

            The Golden Bears, under head coach Ray Hoffman, are among the top contenders for this year's championship after finishing third at last year's meet.

            The Kutztown men have four top-10 finishes in five events this year including a runner-up finish at both the Lehigh Valley Championships and the Maroon & Gold Invitational in addition to a fourth at the Paul Short Invitational and a ninth place showing at the Lafayette Invitational.  This year's best overall time came courtesy of junior Patrick Bone (Pipersville/Central Bucks West) with his time of 26:16 at the Paul Short Open.  In addition, Bone has two top-10 finishes including his runner-up finish at the Maroon & Gold Invitational.  Senior Joe Haughey (Richboro/Council Rock) has three top-20 finishes to go along with a 38th place finish.  At the Paul Short Open, he ran his best time of 26:36.  Senior Dan Wilde (New Cumberland/Cedar Cliff) has a season best tie for ninth along with an 11th place finish at the season opener.  His best time of 26:41 came at that season opening event, the Lehigh Valley Championships.

            Patrick Coyne (sr. Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan), Pat McKeever (jr. Midland Park, NJ/Midland Park), John Pyne (so. Harrisburg/Bishop McDevitt) and Tony Skiles (so. West Reading/Wyomissing) round out KU's top seven.

            

            The men will look to improve upon last year's 10th place finish at the PSAC meet.  

            The men's 8k race will begin at 10 a.m. with the women's 6k race beginning at 11 a.m.  The races will take place outside of the Nelson Field House with the race beginning and ending on the soccer field.

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Josh Leiboff
Kutztown University Sports Information
Phone: (610) 683-4182
Fax: (610) 683-4676
Email: leiboff at kutztown.edu
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