Experienced Cougars Look for Breakout Season
With nine returnees and two transfers, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Coach Darryl Frerker believes 2002 will be a breakout season for women's cross country.
"We're deeper than we've ever been," said Frerker. "It always seems like we end up with about four, maybe five (top runners), and if someone gets injured we're out of it. Right now, I think we have a very strong seven or eight."
Amanda Bozue (Joliet), Carrie Carducci (Powell, Ohio) and Breanne Steffens (Moline) will lead the pack for the Cougars.
Bozue, a senior, finished 15th overall at last year's Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships.
Carducci, a junior, has had success in both cross country and track this past year. She finished 29th in last year's GLVC Championships, then followed that performance by nationally qualifying in the 3,000-steeplechase in the outdoor track season.
Steffens, a junior, was the top Cougar finisher GLVC last year, finishing sixth overall. She earned All-Conference honors with that performance.
Frerker believes this trio has what it takes to help the Cougars have a successful season. "The three of them are definitely going to lead this pack to some new heights for us."
Also returning for the Cougars is sophomore Mary Witte (Normal). She hopes to improve upon her successful freshman campaign that saw her finish 17th at the GLVC.
Erin McMullen (Salem), a transfer from Murray State University, should make an immediate impact on this year's squad. McMullen, a junior, finished 38th at last year's Ohio Valley Conference Championships for the Racers. Junior Maria Ewersmann (St. Paul, Mo.) also should be a significant part of this year's squad.
Frerker also is looking to newcomers Heather Zipparro (Mt. Prospect), Melissa Oglesby (Centralia), and Amanda White (O'Fallon) to provide some depth.
The season will get underway Sept. 14 as the Cougars play host to the Cougar-Bearcat Challenge. They will then travel to Charleston and the Panther Open. October will feature three big meets for the team as they travel to Chicago for the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational, host the Illinois/Missouri Border Wars, then go to Kenosha, Wis. for the Great Lakes Valley Championships on October 26.
"I'm really looking forward to the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational," said Frerker. "I think we'll see a good variety of schools, especially some Division II teams. The Illinois/Missouri Border Wars meet that we host also looks to be a real big meet for us this year."
With Bozue as the only senior on the squad, the Cougars not only should be solidified GLVC contenders for this year but also for the next few seasons to come.
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