Toledo, OH - For the seventh straight season, the University of Toledo men's and women's cross country teams will start the season with a dual meet against Mid-American Conference rival Bowling Green.
The meet, which starts at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 at the Ottawa Park Golf Course in Toledo, ends three weeks of preseason training for the Rockets. With both teams returning virtually their entirely rosters intact, the UT coaching staff believes the Rockets are poised for a breakout season.
"This has been a huge summer of training for both teams," said assistant coach Sara Vergote. "As a coaching staff, we couldn't be happier with the level of intensity, fitness and dedication that's been displayed in preseason. We have been pointing towards this cross country season since last winter and are very excited to get things started."
Last year, Toledo's men's team came away with a 23-32 victory over the Falcons. The Rockets have won four of the six duals with BG since the series began. Toledo's harriers took the second through fifth spots in last year's dual, led by junior Chris Wall (Centerville, OH) and his 16:02 second-place performance. Sophomore Barnaba Kiprotich (Eldoret, Kenya), senior Darren Flickinger (Defiance, OH) and sophomore Jonathan DeWitt (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) had good showings as well, placing in the third through fifth positions for the Rockets.
The women's team dropped a 22-34 decision against BG and also finished one spot behind the Falcons in last year's MAC Championships. Senior Dagna Sztykiel (Bytom, Poland) paced the Rockets with a third place finish (10:45), followed by Karen Sovacool (Cleveland, OH) in fourth-place (10:47). Junior Sarah Neubacher (Fort Wayne, IN) and sophomores Emma Kertesz (Toledo, OH) and Lindsay Toussant (Minerva, OH) rounded out the scoring for Toledo.
Scouting the Falcons
Bowling Green's men's roster does not include any seniors, though Chris Moody, who placed first in last year's dual (15:59), returns. They were projected to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll. The Falcon women graduated four seniors from their 2008 roster and were predicted to finish eighth in the MAC this season. Carly Wells, who took 21st in the MAC Championships last year, is the team's leading returner.
BG Series History
Men: 2003 (W, 18-39); 2004 (L, 23-34); 2005 (L, 24-33); 2006 (W, 25-30); 2007 (W, 29-26); 2008 (W, 23-32).
Women: 2003 (T, 28-28); 2004 (L, 16-44); 2005 (L, 25-30); 2006 (L, 19-37); 2007 (L, 25-31); 2008 (L, 22-34).
Leaders of the MAC
Since 2000, the UT women have finished in the top-four in the Mid-American Conference every season but two (2004, 2008.) The Rockets have claimed a pair of MAC titles in that stretch (2001-02) and they have also placed in the top-11 in the region on six different occasions, highlighted by a fourth-place performance in 2001. No other MAC team has ever finished as high in the region as the Rockets did in 2001.
Hungry Like a Volf
After redshirting in 2008, senior Renata Volf (Krizevcli, Croatia) returns to anchor the women's team. In 2007, Volf earned All-MAC and All-Region honors. She finished ninth at the MAC Championships and 24th at the Regional Championships that year.
Might as Well be Spring
Several members of the cross country team enjoyed great success running for the outdoor track team last spring. Sztykiel finished third at the 2009 MAC Outdoor Championships in the 3000m steeplechase and was an NCAA Regional Qualifier in that event. Junior Audra Brown (Ayersville, OH) returns after placing eighth in the 10,000 meters at the 2009 MACs, while sophomore Ari Fisher (Lebanon, OH) also returns after taking ninth in the 10,000.
Take Five
Five incoming freshmen earned all-state honors in cross country in high school, including Holly Baird (Wauseon, OH), Lei Bornhorst (Minster, OH), Lauren Fausey (Minster, OH), Devyn Ramsay (Benzonia, MI) and Kristal Studar (Bright, IN).
We Are Family
Two sets of sisters are on the women's roster: sophomores Ali and Ari Fisher (Lebanon, OH), and junior Jenna and freshman Lauren Fausey (Minster, OH). Additionally, the older sister of sophomore Joni Camp (Sterling, OH), Nicole, was an All-MAC runner and team captain for the Rockets (2004-07).
Contact: Scott Miles
scott.miles@utoledo.edu
