Oct. 20, 2004

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Miami Takes 25th at Pre-NCAA Invitational: Miami's Jennie Stoll was the top RedHawk for the second time in the team's five races as she finished 58th overall. Carol Eckerly (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) finished second among her teammates and 62nd overall as Miami took 25th in the White race at the highly competitive Pre-NCAA Invitational held at Indiana State, the site of the NCAA Championships next month. Tricia Frisella in 157th, Sarah Henize in 159th, and Kelly Ardelean in 169th rounded out Miami's scorers. The race featured nine teams ranked in WICCCA's National Poll.

MAC Championship Next: After finishing fifth last year, the Miami women's cross country team looks to improve upon that standing at this year's MAC Championship, held Oct. 30 at Toledo. Though Miami returns only one of its scorers from last season in Kelly Ardelean, who finished fifth among her teammates, the talented freshman class makes Miami somewhat of a wild card in this year's MAC Meet.

Ranked RedHawks: Miami rose four places this week in the Great Lakes Region Rankings sponsored by Mondo and the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association, standing in 10th place in the Oct. 17 rankings.

Talented Rookies: Though Andrea Kremer, an all-American during her career and the most accomplished athlete in Miami women's cross country history was the top Miami finisher in all of her races during her freshman season in 2000, Miami seems to be following a similar strategy this season. Three times this year, all five of Miami's scorers have been in their first year with the program, and in all five races, a true freshman has been Miami's top finisher. Jennie Stoll and Carol Eckerly have been the first and second Miamians across the tape in all five races, Eckerly first three times and Stoll first twice. Though the RedHawks have the potential for five true freshmen to score, with Sarah Henize, Tricia Frisella and Mia Fiegelist all straight out of high school, academic junior Kristen Proach, in her first year with the program, has scored in four of the five meets. Among the true freshmen, Frisella has always finished third, Henize has scored three times and Fiegelist once.

They Could Get Used to This: Though it's another kilometer added to an already grueling cross country race, the Miami women's squad wouldn't mind running a 6K twice more this year, as it would mean that Miami has made the NCAA Championship. Though the 5K race returns for the last time this year at the MAC Championship, the NCAA Regional and national race both feature a 6K course.

Who Knew?: Miami was chosen sixth in the MAC Preseason Poll released Aug. 16. Toledo was chosen first, with Akron, Ball State, Toledo and Western Michigan and Kent State finishing ahead of Miami. The MAC announces only the top six finishers in the poll. Selectors undoubtedly wondered about the team's makeup this year after finishing fifth last season with Kremer in the lineup and taking so many untested freshmen into 2004.

Tracking the MAC: Kent State was the only other MAC school along side Miami in the White race at the Pre-NCAA Invitational, though Ball State and Toledo competed in the Blue race and Ohio and Northern Illinois were in the Open race. Akron and Buffalo competed at the Penn State Invitational, while Western Michigan competed at Arkansas' Chili Pepper Invitational. Bowling Green hosted the Falcon Invitational in which Central Michigan participated as well, while Eastern Michigan and Marshall had the weekend off.