GOLDEN EAGLES C.C. START SEASON SATURDAY AT PENN STATE

The Clarion University men=s and women=s cross country teams start their seasons Saturday when they travel to Penn State for the 2003 Spiked Shoes Meet at the Penn State Blue-White Golf Courses.

AWe can=t wait to get started,@ 10th-year head coach Pat Mooney said. AWe=ve been ready to go for two months.@

CLARION WOMEN LOOKING TO CONTINUE LAST SEASON=S SUCCESS

With three All-Region runners and four All-PSAC runners returning from one of the most successful if not most successful cross country seasons in school history, expectations and hopes are high as the women=s cross country team.

AWe lost only one runner from last year, and I believe we have three or four kids who are ready to step up. In fact, I think we are deeper than we were last year.@

Last year the Golden Eagles finished 20th in the nation, second in the Atlantic Region and third in the PSAC while winning three of the five regular-season meets it entered. They were the first cross country team at Clarion to ever qualify for the NCAA national meet.

AWhat more can you say about last season?@ Mooney said. AAll of my student-athletes did a tremendous job. But at the same time that was last year. This year we are not going to surprise anyone. Also it is going to be harder to qualify for the national meet. Last year they took three teams from the Atlantic Region. This year they are only taking two.@

Despite the added difficulties this year, Mooney believes his team is ready for the challenge.

AI think our women are ready to take it to another level,@ Mooney said. AThey have been so dedicated that a few of them did even more than we expected of them over the summer. They are very hungry to get back to nationals, and they want to improve their place at nationals.@

Leading the charge for the Golden Eagles will be there All-Region and All-PSAC runners including two runners, Evelyn Abiola and Melissa Terwilliger, who earned both honors.

Terwilliger, a junior, finished eighth at the Regional meet last year and sixth at the PSAC meet, while Abiola, a senior, took 11th at both races. Terwilliger was the top Golden Eagle at the NCAA=s taking 78th,while Abiola was 98th.

Anna Beck, a junior, is the third All-Region runner returning having finished ninth at the Regional meet after a 45th place finish at the PSAC=s. Beck finished 115th at the NCAA=s.

The additional two returning All-PSAC runners are Jen Boerner, a senior, who finished 12th, and Bridget Sardo, a sophomore, who was 14th. Boerner was an All-Region runner in 2001. Boerner was 23rd at the Regional meet last year and 110th at the NCAA=s, while Sardo just missed All-Region honors finishing in 16th place while adding a 103rd place finish at the NCAA=s.

While it is great to have so many runners at the top of the pack, what could really make the Golden Eagles a strong team this season is their depth and experience.

Additional key returnees for Clarion include sophomore Katie Jarzab and junior Sarah Rodgers. Jarzab was 25th at the PSAC meet, 19th at the Regional meet and 128th at the NCAA=s. Rodgers took 32nd at the PSAC=s.

GOLDEN EAGLE MEN LOOKING TO TAKE STEP FORWARD IN 2003

Last season the Golden Eagles men=s cross country team was a young and inexperienced team that went through some growing pains. But with the start of a new year, Mooney believes bigger and better things can be expected from this year=s team.

AWe are excited about the men=s team,@ Mooney said. ALast year was a rebuilding year, and we have everyone but John Snyder and Chris Noal back from that team. We also have a couple of runners who we red-shirted last year who we believe will help make a difference this season.@

Last year the Golden Eagles finished 12th at PSAC=s and 14th at the Atlantic Regional.

AWe got better as the year went on,@ Mooney said. AThat was all I could ask from such a young team. They showed improvement each week.@

The top returning runners from last season=s team are senior A.J. Mayernick, and sophomore Matt Andreassi, Aaron Neely and Matt Reinhold.

Mayernick finished 51st at PSAC=s and 49th at Regionals for the Golden Eagles, while Andreassi was 77th at PSAC=s and 86th at Regionals. Neely finished 90th at PSAC=s and 92nd at Regionals, and Reinhold was 92nd at PSAC=s and 88th at Regionals.

Joining the four PSAC and Regional scorers from last year, are two key runners who were red-shirted in 2002 in freshman Sean Williams and junior David Duriancik.

Duriancik was a key member of the Golden Eagles in 2000 and 2001 finishing 45th at PSAC=s as a sophomore and 55th at Regionals the same year.

AWe have three pretty good guys ups front in Dave, A.J. and Sean,@ Mooney said. AI think Dave has a shot at being All-Conference. He is coming off a great track season.

 ARight now there is a scramble for the fourth and fifth position between a lot of runners. We are going to be looking for some consistency in those spots.@

Mooney believes the Golden Eagles will move up in the PSAC this year.

AWe plan to move up,@ Mooney said. AWe were pretty far back last year, so if we can move into the middle of the pack around sixth or seventh place I would be pretty pleased. We are still a very young team with only one senior.@