The Clarion University men’s and women’s cross country teams will be participating in the PSAC Championships Saturday (Nov. 2) at Edinboro.

Last season, Clarion’s women’s team finished 7^th of 13 teams at the PSAC’s, while the men’s team was 9^th of 14 teams.

This year there will be 13 teams competing in both races this season.

Coming off a successful regular season that saw it win three of the five meets it entered including its past three meets, Clarion’s women’s team enters the PSAC Championships with high hopes.

"We are unofficially seeded third, and we are shooting for second place," ninth-year head coach Pat Mooney said. "IUP is clearly the top team, but I believe we are as good as anyone else running."

One of the things that has made the Golden Eagles strong in 2002 is the depth Clarion possess. The Eagles have had seven runners break into their top five this season including Anna Beck, Jen Boerner, Melissa Terwilliger, Kathryn Szafran, Katie Jarzab, Evelyn Abiola and Bridget Sardo.

"The thing we really have going for us is our depth," Mooney said. "That is the real strength of our team."

Leading the pack of seven runners are Clarion’s fearsome three-some of Beck, Boerner and Terwilliger.

Beck, a freshman, finished as the Golden Eagles top runner in four of the five races in 2002. Her best finish was at the Lock Haven Invitational when she ran the 6K course in 22:40.

"Anna is one of the main reasons why we are where we are," Mooney said. "She has stepped up and pushed everyone. She came in with fire in her eyes."

Boerner, a junior who finished 16^th at PSAC’s last season (22:55.25) and earned All-Region honors with a 13^th-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Regionals, was Clarion’s No. 2 runner three times in 2002. Her best finish was third at Lock Haven (23:13).

"Jen has been a very, very solid contributor," Mooney said. "She will be all-conference (Top 15 runners) this year."

Terwilliger, who was 24^th at PSAC’s in 2001 (23:20.52), was Clarion’s No. 1 runner once this season, its No. 2 runner once, its No. 3 runner twice. Her best finish was a fourth at Lock Haven (23:49), and she was Clarion’s No. 1 runner at Gettysburg Invitational last week (5K - 19:40.85).

"Melissa took a step forward last spring during track season," Mooney said. "I just knew she was going to be better this year. She is running extremely well right now. She also has a shot at being all-conference."

Abiola, a junior college transfer, has come on strong as of late for the Golden Eagles finishing as the No. 2 runner at Gettysburg (20:12.49) and as the No. 4 runner at Lock Haven (23:58).

"Evelyn is peaking at the right time," Mooney said. "She seems to be getting better each meet. She is an experienced runner."

Szafran’s best finish was a sixth showing at Lock Haven (24:03), Jarzab’s was a 16^th at the 6K IUP Invite (23:47) and Sardo’s was seventh showing at Lock Haven (24:04). "I can’t give enough credit to Kate Szafran," Mooney said. "She has been our captain and our leader. She is a hard worker. Bridget is a real sleeper. She has all the tools and could pop one. Katie Jarzab has also been very solid for us. She is an outstanding student-athlete who is she where she should be."

While Clarion’s women’s team is an experienced one ready to take the next step in PSAC competition, the men’s team is a young one with four freshmen among the top seven runners.

"We are seeded near the bottom of the rung," Mooney said. "We knew we were going to take some lumps this year because of how young we are. But if our upperclassmen all run good races, and if we can get a couple of good races from our freshmen we could move up in the standings. When you are a young team, you are a little inconsistent."

The top seven include senior John Snyder, juniors A.J. Mayernik and Chris Noal and freshmen Matt Hartsock, Matt Andreassi, Matt Reinhold and Aaron Neely.

Mayernik, who finished 36^th at PSAC’s (26:34.01) last season, is probably the Eagles top runner entering the meet. In Clarion’s five races he was the No. 1 runner twice and the No. 2 runner twice. His best 8K time came Oct. 5 at Lock Haven (27:50).

"A.J. has been one of our top three runners in each of his three years here," Mooney said. "He is a solid runner, and he could pop a good race for us."

The Golden Eagles No. 2 runner this season has been either Noal or Hartsock.

Noal has finished as the No. 1 runner once and the No. 2 runner twice. His best 8K time came this past weekend at Gettysburg (28:20.55), and he has run a faster time in each of the five races.

"Chris’ steady improvement is a testament to his hard work," Mooney said. "He is a more confident runners and a more experienced runner."

Hartsock has been Clarion’s No. 1 runner twice and its No. 2 runner once. His best time was at Lock Haven (27:24) when he finished ninth.

"On paper Matt has been our best freshmen," Mooney said. "But he is a little hobbled right now. We are trying to get him healthy, because when he was healthy he was coming on very nicely for us."

Snyder, Clarion’s lone senior and captain, has maybe been Clarion’s steadiest runner finishing as the Eagles No. 3 runner in each of the past three meets. His best time came at Lock Haven (27:59) when he finished 16^th.Last season at the PSAC’s Snyder was 71^st (27:49.81).

"John has the experience some of the freshmen don’t have," Mooney said. "He has been a good captain, and we are looking forward to him leading the freshmen to bigger and better things."

Andreassi’s best mark this season was 29:20 at Lock Haven, Reinhold’s was 28:48 at Lock Haven and Neely’s was 29:59.64 at Gettysburg.

Mooney believes Edinboro, Millersville and Shippensburg are the teams to beat in the men’s race.

NOTES: Clarion is back in action next Saturday at the NCAA Division II Regionals at Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) ... Clarion’s women’s team is unofficially ranked third in the East Region by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association. The NCAA does not rank Regionally in Cross Country ... Clarion’s best finishes under Mooney at the PSAC’s are sixth-place standings for both the men’s and women’s teams in 1997 ... The sixth-place women’s finish is the best in school history at the PSACs.