The Clarion University men’s and women’s cross country teams are preparing for the East Regionals Saturday, November 3rd at Slippery Rock University.

Both teams are hoping to improve on their performances at PSAC’s last week at Lock Haven. The women’s team finished 7^th and the men’s team finished 9^th.

"We were right where we were suppose to be at PSAC’s," Clarion’s eighth-year head coach Pat Mooney said. "We had hoped to sneak up a couple of places, but we will get a chance to get another shot at the PSAC schools this week. The PSAC schools will do very well at Regionals. On the women’s side eight of the top 10 regional teams are PSAC schools and on the men’s side seven of the top 10 are PSAC schools."

Mooney believes that both teams have a shot at strong finishes.

"We usually run well at Slippery Rock," Mooney said. "It is a hilly course that we seem to like. But we will only be as good as our No. 4 and No. 5 runners."

The Golden Eagles women’s team, which is ranked eighth in the East Region, is led by its upstate New York connection of sophomore Jen Boerner (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) and freshman Melissa Terwillinger (Blasdell, N.Y./Frontier).

For the second straight year Boerner, who finished 30^th at Regionals last season, just missed earning all-PSAC honors (Top 15) finishing 16^th at the PSAC’s in a time of 22:55.25. Terwillinger was right behind her in 24^th place in a time of 23:20.52.

"Just a couple of seconds faster by either of those runners and we could really move up in the standings," Mooney said.

Following Boerner and Terwillinger for the Golden Eagles are two sophomores and a senior.

Sophomore Kathryn Szafran (Bradford/Bradford) finished in 32^nd place at PSAC’s in a time of 23:36.67, while senior Wendy Kengor (Apollo/Kiski Area) was 45^th in a time of 23:55.23. Sophomore Alison Borek (Southampton/William Tennent) was 50^th in a time of 24:02.04.

Szafran was 110^th at Regionals last season, Kengor was 84^th and Borek was 114th.

Two other runners who could push their way into the top five for Clarion are senior Linda Bryce (Summerville/Clarion-Limestone), who finished 68^th at PSAC’s in a time of 25:13.89, and freshman Sarah Rodgers (Chicora/Moniteau), who finished 70^th in a time of 25:26.25.

"If we can have a few people move up a couple of places we could really pick up some points while adding points onto some other teams," Mooney said "We are running very well right now so I think we might be able to do that."

The Golden Eagles men’s team is led by senior Ean King (Chicora/Karns City) and sophomore A.J. Mayernik (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny).

King, who two seasons ago became the first Mooney coached runner to earn all-Region honors, finished 31^st at Regionals in 2000 and was the top Golden Eagle finisher at this season’s PSAC’s finishing in 31^st place in a time of 26:26.15, while Mayernik, who finished 55^th at Regionals last year, was 36^th at PSAC’s in a time of 26:34.01.

King and Mayernik are part of a pack of six Clarion runners who finished within a minute of each other at PSAC’s.

Sophomore David Durianick (Vandergrift/Kiski Area) finished in 45^th place at PSAC’s in a time of 26:54.11, while freshman Zac Ogden (Kittanning/Kittanning) was 55^th in a time of 27:12.95. Senior Jerry Smith (Greensburg/Greensburg-Salem) finished 64^th in a time of 27:22.62 and senior Matt Mastarone was 66^th in a time of 27:27.45.

Junior John Snyder (Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney) was just back of the pack in 71^st place in a time of 27:49.81.

Durianick finished 37^th at Regionals a year ago, Smith was 70^th and Mastarone was 67^th.

"We need our seniors to step up at Regionals," Mooney said. "We also need to have all seven runners run good races."

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES: Clarion’s men’s team finished in 12^th place at Regionals last season after finishing 10^th at the PSAC’s ... The Golden Eagle women’s team was 11^th at Regionals in 2000 after placing 9^th at PSAC’s.

by Chris Rossetti