Sept. 8, 2006
By taking a quick glance at the 2006 women's cross country roster, one can quickly see that Head Coach Mike Owens enjoyed a very busy off-season. With nine newcomers on the roster, Owens has one of the deepest teams in some time. When you add in the experience of nine veteran runners, you can understand his excitement for the 2006 season.
Part of that excitement stems from the return of seniors Liz Casey, Kelly Connors, and Courtney Kincaid. The trio was among the team's top runners a year ago, consistently placing among the top finishers at each meet.
It would be a difficult task to be more consistent than Kincaid was last season. She placed second for the team in six of eight races in 2005, and took third place in one other event. She was runner up in the final three meets of the season, namely the MAAC championship, the NCAA regional, and the ECAC championship.
Casey performed well for the Stags as well, running solid races at the MAAC and the ECAC championships. She enjoyed early-season success as well, finishing among the top five in three of the first four races that season.
Connors also added a level of dependability to the lineup. She turned in consistent efforts each and every week that helped her gain the experience that should help her become one of the team's scorers this year.
The junior class includes Megan Krueger, Kristen Mancini, and Missy Saviski. All three student-athletes showed a great deal of potential during the pre-season, and now look to turn their knowledge into strong performances week after week.
Krueger was a regular in the lineup for each race, and scored a top-five finish in several races during the year. She started the season in fine fashion with a fifth-place finish in a solid time of 21:48 at the Central Connecticut Invitational.
Devann Ard will anchor a sophomore class that also includes Laura Barry and Jennifer Boonton. Ard showed a great deal of potential weekly, beginning with a good performance at the Central Connecticut Invitational in week two. She followed up by finishing second among her teammates at the New England championship two weeks later. Ard capped her season by taking third for the Stags at the ECAC championship (21:42).
Boonton came through for the Stags during the 2005 campaign. She started the season with a third-place run at the Fordham Invitational, and came back with several more impressive finishes over the course of the year. She finished the course in 21:21 (fifth) at the NCAA regional in November, and secured the same spot one week later at the ECAC championship.
Barry enjoyed a solid season in 2005, posting strong finishes at both the Victor Leeber Invitational as well as the MAAC championship. Based on those performances, Barry should be in the mix for the Stags this season.
The freshman class includes nine talented runners that show strong implications for success over the next four years.
The newcomers include Carlyn Bernier, Caroline Conant, Ryan Donahue, Ashley Doran, Nicole Eckart, Cara Feeney, Colleen Heffernan, Kaitlyn Hurley, and Mary Morris. With nine rookies on the roster, Coach Owens has a great deal of choices for the upcoming season.
When the fall season begins, Coach Mike Owens will see the rewards for his busy off-season. With a talented and deep roster, it looks as though the second-year head coach may also have a very busy post-season.
