CLARION SET FOR PSAC MEET SATURDAY AT BLOOMSBURG

The Clarion University men’s and women’s cross country teams are gearing up for the PSAC’s Saturday, Oct. 28, at Bloomsburg.

            “We are looking forward to finally getting into the postseason meets,” interim head coach Jayson Resch said. “This is what we’ve been training for all season. The PSAC meet is an important meet for us, although our main focus all year has been on next week’s (NCAA D-II) Regional Meet (at Slippery Rock). We are using PSAC’s to help us get ready for Regionals.”

EAGLE MEN LOOKING TO BUILD ON LAST YEAR’S 7^TH PLACE FINISH

            Clarion’s men’s team is looking to build upon last season’s seventh place finish at both PSAC’s and Regionals. The seventh place PSAC ending tied the Eagles best finish since 1981. The 1999 and 1984 squads also finished seventh, while the 1981 team was sixth.

            This season, Clarion believes it can achieve a Top Six finish.

            “We have shown great improvement throughout the season especially in our meet at Slippery Rock two weeks ago where we finished second to Shippensburg,” Resch said. “The PSAC is a strong conference, though, and will we have to run to our potential to have a good showing.”

            One of the reasons Clarion has a shot at a Top Six finish is the return of All-PSAC runner Chris Clark (Hadley/Commodore Perry). Last season with a 10^th place finish at PSAC’s Clark became the first Golden Eagle since 1999 to earn All-PSAC honors while becoming the first Clarion men’s runner to finish in the Top 10 since 1986. This season, the junior has been the Golden Eagles top runner in all five meets including an impressive 10^th place finish at the Penn State Invitational Oct. 7, a meet that featured many Division I runners.

            “Chris’ goal is a Top Three finish,” Resch said. “I believe he can accomplish that. Last year, he learned that patience was the key to this race. He started out conservatively and moved up through the race. He is a strong runner, so he doesn’t need to take the lead early. He can work with the other athletes and move up late in the race.”

            Resch believes two other runners – Sean McFarland (So., Macungie/Upper Perkiomen) and Sean Williams (Sr., Austintown, Ohio/Austintown-Fitch) – also have a shot at All-PSAC this year, especially considering the award is now being awarded to the Top 20 runners instead of the Top 15 as in the past.

            Williams was Clarion’s No. 2 runner twice this season, while McFarland was the No. 2 runner once and the No. 3 runner three times.

            “Both runners have been improving all season,” Resch said. “If they run to their potential, they can reach their goals.”

            Additional key runners for Clarion will be seniors Travis Cyphert (Summerville/Clarion-Limestone) and Jason South (Lewis Run/Bradford), junior Bill Herrmann (Centereach, NY/Newfield), sophomore Mark Simbeck (Kersey/Elk County Catholic) and freshmen Josh Foulds (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg) and Adam Sencak (Pittsburgh/North Hills).

            “All of our runners have worked hard this season and will play key roles in our postseason meets,” Resch said.

WHEATLEY TO PACE INJURY SLOWED CLARION WOMEN

            Clarion’s women’s team has been beset by injuries all season and will be without their No. 1 runner junior Erin Richard (Erie/McDowell) at PSAC’s. Richard finished 20^th at both PSAC’s and Regional’s last season.

            “We believe Erin will be back by Regionals,” Resch said. “We are making adjustments for PSAC’s to make sure she is healthy for Regionals.”

            Even without Richards, Resch believes the Golden Eagles have enough talent to match if not better last season’s seventh place PSAC finish. Clarion added a 10^th place finish at the 2005 Regional meet.

            “With the depth we have, we are still in good shape,” Resch said. “Tasha Wheatley has run fantastic this year, and Kaycee Shaffer has stepped up as of late. I also believe Caitlin Palko, Autumn Shaffer and Kate Ehrensberger, who are all running with experience, will rise to the occasion and fill in some of the gaps.”

            With Richards out, Wheatley (Sr., Saltsburg/Kiski Area) has taken over the top spot on the women’s team and has performed well. She has been Clarion’s top runner in three meets and its No. 2 runner in the other two. He best races both came at Penn State against Division I competition when she finished 19^th in both races. She also took home a fourth place ending two weeks ago at Slippery Rock.

Wheatley has postseason experience in both cross country and track. Last season, she finished 21^st at PSAC’s and 23^rd at Regionals in Cross Country and then followed that up by taking second in the indoor track and field 5,000 and third in the outdoor track and field steeple chase.

            “Tasha has been in the Top Three and Four among PSAC runners all season,” Resch said. “She had two very strong meets at Penn State where she was in the Top 20 vs. Division I competition, and she also had a good meet at Slippery Rock. Her times up to this point have put her in a very elite group in the PSAC. Her success is track has had a lot to do with her success in cross country. She is running against many of the same runners she has competed against in track.”

            In addition to Wheatley, Resch also believes freshman Kaycee Shaffer (Imperial/West Allegheny) has a shot at making the Top 20. Shaffer ran her best race of the season two weeks ago at Slippery Rock finishing ninth.

            “She ran her strongest race at Slippery Rock,” Resch said. “As the season goes on, her workouts have become more and more consistent. She doesn’t have any fear of going out and being in the Top 20.”

            Palko (So., Pittsburgh/North Hills), Autumn Shaffer (Sr., Imperial/West Allegheny), Kaycee’s older sister, and Ehrensberger (So., St. Marys/Elk County Catholic) have all had solid seasons as well.

            Palko was Clarion’s No. 2 runner in the Oct. 7 meet at Penn State, Autumn Shaffer was Clarion’s No. 3 runner in the Sept. 23 Penn State meet and Ehrensberger was the Golden Eagles’ No. 4 runner at Slippery Rock two weeks ago.

            Additional key runners for Clarion include freshman Meaghan Conroy (Apollo/Kiski Area) and Suzanne Schwerer (Wexford/Pine-Richland).

            GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES – The NCAA Regional race is next Saturday, Nov. 4, at Slippery Rock … Clarion’s women’s team had one of the best season’s in school history in 2002 when it finished third at PSAC’s, second at Regionals and 20^th in the nation under long-time head coach Pat Mooney … The men’s team’s sixth place finish in 1981 came under another long-time head coach Bill English … The last Golden Eagles men’s runner to finish higher than 10^th was Jim Snyder, who was 7^th in 1985 … The last Clarion women’s runner to earn All-PSAC honors was Melissa Terwilliger, who was ninth in 2004.

Chris Clark

Tasha Wheatley