Cross country team ends season in region’s top ten

On Saturday, November 5, 2005, the Seton Hill University (SHU) Women’s Cross Country team completed their season with the American Mid-East (AMC)/NAIA Region IX Championships at Shawnee State University.
They placed tenth out of 20 teams, putting them in the top 10 in their region for a fourth consecutive year.

By Valerie Masciarelli,
Staff Writer
On Saturday, November 5, 2005, the Seton Hill University (SHU) Women’s Cross Country team completed their season with the American Mid-East (AMC)/NAIA Region IX Championships at Shawnee State University.
They placed tenth out of 20 teams, putting them in the top 10 in their region for a fourth consecutive year.
The team was led by Laura Lemoine, sophomore, who placed 37th out of 170 runners with a time of 20 minutes and 46 seconds, and Katie Graff, junior, who placed 42nd with a time of 20 minutes and 55 seconds.
�I thought we ran very well,� said Head Coach Tim Creamer, who believes that injuries were the team’s major downfall this season.
�Had we been healthy, I think we would have had a much stronger speed and placed a little bit higher this year,� Creamer said.
�I am not fully satisfied with my time or place at Shawnee State because I fell twice during the race, and I had missed All American by about 30 seconds,� said Graff.
�I am not going to let this discourage me, though,� Graff added.
�Everybody ran their best,� said Jenna Costello, freshman. �It was real hot that day, so it was kind of hard.�
Creamer said that the younger runners did very well in making up the speed lost from the injured runners.
�By the end of the season, the freshmen and sophomores responded really well and are now ready for next year,� Creamer said.
Junior Katie Donaldson agreed. �Our freshmen really stepped it up and pushed themselves to the limit.
I was very impressed by their motivation and determination to become better runners and work hard for the team,� Donaldson said.
�No one will ever take the place of our graduated seniors,� said Toshua Martin, senior, �but each freshman has a personality and running ethic that is unique to them, which makes them fit right into the team.�
This race was the last competition for Martin and senior Elizabeth Barrett, who will both be missed according to their teammates.
�Elizabeth was so friendly from day one, and just really helped us and always told us good job no matter what, because she knew we tried,� said Holly Kistler, freshman
�I�m not the fastest person, and as captain, I really try to keep the team together,� said Barrett.
�I see my role as captain to be more like encouraging (the team) than just trying to be the fastest,� Barrett said.
As for Martin, her last year was �bittersweet� according to Creamer, because she was unable to run due to health-related problems.
�She helped us out in other ways by doing (time) splits for us and being a part of the team almost as a student-assistant,� Creamer said.
�Her positive outlook and being a part of this team will be missed very much,� said Creamer.
To view all articles by this writer Click here.