CLARION RUNNERS LOOKING FORWARD TO PSAC CHAMPIONS

Champions to be held Saturday at Kutztown

            The Clarion University women’s cross country team led by senior Erin Richard is looking forward to the 2007 PSAC Championships Saturday at Kutztown.

            “We are excited that the championship season is here,” Clarion’s second-year head coach Jayson Resch said. “This is what we have been training for all season. Based on how much we have continued to improve through the season and how hard the team has worked in current training, our goal for Saturday is to place in the Top Five.”

            Clarion enters the race ranked sixth in the PSAC, and the Golden Eagles finished seventh at last year’s PSAC’s and sixth at Regionals.

            “In order to achieve our goal of a Top Five finish, we will have to race well as a team,” Resch said. “Our No. 2 through No. 5 runners will have to run as a pack working together to beat their opponents.”

            Richard (Erie/McDowell), Clarion’s No. 1 runner, is expected to contend for a PSAC title this year after missing last year’s championship with an injury. She returned for the cross country Regionals a year ago earning All-Region honors with an 11^th-place finish and then had one of the best track season in school history. She was a three-time All-American in 2007 taking seventh in the indoor 5,000, fourth in the outdoor 10,000 and third in the outdoor 5,000 while winning three PSAC Championships (indoor Mile, outdoor 3,000 and 5,000) and was named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association East Region Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and the PSAC Outdoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year.

            “Erin’s individual goal is to win the PSAC championship,” Resch said. “After missing last year’s race, she is very focused on racing well this year. She has worked tremendously hard since the fall of last year, and she spent a lot of time this summer working on her strength in order to be more prepared for this portion of the season. She truly is the leader of the team and is prepared to accomplish her goals.”    

            Resch also believes to a pair of juniors – Molly Smathers (Clarion/Clarion) and Caitlin Palko (Pittsburgh/North Hills) have the opportunity for Top 20 finishes.

            “Molly and Caitlin both have an excellent chance to place in the Top 20 and earn All-PSAC honors (which go to the Top 20 runners),” Resch said. “They will work together to try and win the award.”

            Palko, who was 53^rd at last year’s PSAC’s, is coming off a solid track season that saw her qualify for both the indoor and outdoor PSAC Championships in the 5,000 placing 14^th indoors and 11^th outdoors, while Smathers is a transfer to Clarion this year who hadn’t run cross country since high school.

            Junior Kate Ehrensberger (St. Marys/Elk County Catholic) gives Clarion some added experience at the PSAC’s having finished 49^th last season, while sophomores Suzanne Schwerer (Wexford/Pine-Richland) and Lisa Nickel (Pittsburgh/Shaler) and freshmen Kate Reinhart (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland), Annmarie Clifford (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional) and Rachel Slade (Indiana/Penns Manor) will all be running in their first PSAC championship race.

            “This team has worked very hard throughout the year,” Resch said. “They are a very dedicated group of student-athletes who perform well in competition and in the classroom. I’m very proud of this team, and I believe they are prepared to have a great race this weekend.”

            GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES – Clarion will be back in action Nov. 3 at the NCAA Regional meet at Lock Haven … Clarion has 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 Golden Eagles’ last All-PSAC runner was Melissa Terwilliger, who was ninth in 2004. Terwilliger has the highest finish in school history as well with a third-place ending in 2003 … In addition to her on the track and course accomplishments last season, Richard was also a 2007 third-team ESSPN The Magazine Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-America, a 2007 first-team District 2 College Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection and a 20006 USTFCCA All-Academic team member not to mention a Clarion and PSAC “Scholar-Athlete”.