Sept. 3, 2010

The University of Arizona Women’s cross country team won’t be surprising anybody this year, as they begin the season rounding out the preseason USTFCCCA coaches’ rankings in the No. 25 spot.  The recognition comes just a year removed from receiving one single top-25 vote to start the 2009 cross country season.

Last year’s upstart group of impressive freshmen and a few exceptional returnees helped to guide the Wildcats to their first appearance at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships since the 2001 team - led by individual national champion Tara Chaplin - accomplished the feat. 

The women’s squad earned 88 points in this year’s preseason poll, a sign that the coaches have noted the progress the Arizona team has made in just a year.  The fact that the squad returns the large majority of key athletes from last year’s team likely didn’t hurt the squad’s chances either.

“We’re pretty excited about the fact the rankings came back that way,” UA assistant coach Erin Dawson said. “But really rankings don’t mean a lot right now this early in the season.”

“We still have to perform and stay healthy – I’ll be excited when we finish in the top 15 in November.”

The Wildcats were also projected to finish fourth in the NCAA West Region, another sign of the ground the UA is making on the competition after have been picked to finish in the lower half of the conference for the past couple seasons.

“We are really excited about the women’s program this year,” UA coach James Li said. “The ladies are improving so much and running so much better in the distance events on the track.”

“That’s always a good indication of how the cross country season is going to go.”

Returning from last year’s squad is senior Maggie Callahan, who led the Wildcats across the line in all but one race last season en route to All-Conference and All-Region honors.  As the lone senior, Callahan will be looked upon to lead by example and by performance for the second year in a row.

She will be joined by just two other upper classmen in Hannah Moen and Hanna Henson.  Moen was slowed during the cross country season while recovering from minor injuries but bounced back during the track and field season on her way to settle the school record in the steeplechase and advancing to the NCAA finals in the event.  Henson was a frequent point scorer for the UA during the cross country campaign but redshirted the track season. 

Below the three upperclassmen comes a slew of impressive youngsters who have already proven themselves on the grand stage.  Jennifer Bergman leads a group of sophomores that made up arguably one of the top recruiting classes in the nation last season.  The high school Foot Locker finalist was arguably the teams Number Two runner last year and actually was the first Wildcat across the line at the NCAA Championships.

Elizabeth Apgar joins Bergman as another athlete entering her second season for the UA and held the distinction of posting the most consecutive point-scoring finishes for the team, scoring in every meet after the season-opening Dave Murray Invitational.  The consistency was second only to Callahan.

Sophomore Megan Meyer emerged as the team’s diamond in the rough, bouncing back from a slow start where she didn’t even travel with the team until the NCAA Regional Championships.  With the loss of a consistent point scorer in Lauren Smith just days before the meet, the team needed someone to step up to the plate and Meyer answered the call.  Meyer’s point scoring-finish at the NCAA West Regional Championships could be argued as one of the most important moments of the season as far as getting a bubble at-large team into the NCAA Championships.

Melanie McGrath also returns to the Wildcats this seasons after a productive freshmen campaign that saw her earn a couple reps with the A-squad as well.

All the returning athletes also had impressive track and field season, with all of the above except Henson (who redshirted) and McGrath qualifying for the NCAA Track and Field championships individually as well.

“The girls all did so well last year and everyone is coming back,” Li said about the returning corps. “Anyone who knows anything about cross country knows these people are going to have a big impact on the team.”

The returners are not the only athletes looking to make a difference either as the women are also bringing in a host of talented freshman this season.

“We’ve brought in three really strong freshmen to the mix,” Dawson said. “I’m pretty confident they’re going to make a big impact on our top seven and even in practice and time trials they are right there with the older girls pushing the pace.”

The trio includes Texas prep star Amanda Russell, a two-time Foot Locker finalist, and Erin Menefee, a top-ten finisher at the CIF State Cross Country Meet last season.

Elvin Kibet rounds out the trifecta as an athlete Li refers to as “the real deal” and whose competitive lineage speaks for itself as two of her elder sisters have been among the elite international distance runners over the past couple years.

“We’re excited about doing better this year,” Li said. “Not just going to nationals but also placing higher.”

The women will kick off their season Saturday in Flagstaff, Ariz. at the George Kyte Invitational – a meet that has typically been used as a tune-up of sorts.