Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Cross Country Prepares for Patriot League Championships
10/28/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 28, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's and women's cross country teams are gearing up for one of the most important races of the season in the Patriot League Championships, to be held on Saturday, October 29, hosted by Lehigh, in Bethlehem, Pa. The men's race is set to start at 11 a.m., with the women shortly after at noon.
Leading the Bison's hopes to improve from last year's fourth-place finish at the meet will be junior Jennifer Stevens (Laceyville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West), who has emerged as Bucknell's top runner this season. Last year, Stevens finished 30th overall and sixth for the Orange and Blue with a time of 24 minutes, 5.46 seconds.
Four other runners hoping to make an impact at the PL meet are juniors Leanna Nastase (Beaverdale, Pa./Forest Hills), Christa Sawko (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville Area), sophomore Erin Cranmer-Hart (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock) and senior Kayla Halloran (Norwell, Mass./Norwell).
At last season's meet, Nastase crossed the finish line first for the Bison and finished 12th overall, with a total time of 23: 39.50. Sawko finished second for Bucknell, 15th overall (23:39:50), while Cranmer-Hart and Halloran finished back-to-back in the squad's third (18th overall, 23:46.76) and fourth (19th overall, 23:47.29) slots, respectively.
Junior Lauren Bricker (Greenburg, Pa./Slippery Rock) and freshman Gillian Nordquist (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) will also be looked upon to help Bucknell improve from last year's standings.
"Our ladies have been very consistent all season," said head coach Kevin Donner. "We plan to contend for the Championship along with Army, Navy and American. Lehigh is much improved as well. The key will be for our top 5 to finish close to each other."
Army took the title at last year's meet, with Navy in second, American in third and Lehigh in sixth.
On the men's side, the Bison are losing three of the top seven finishers from last year's meet in Dan Lounsbury, Doug Creveling and Stephen Schaefer. However, junior Matt Forys (Howell, N.J./Howell), Bucknell's second-best finisher (24th overall, 26:42.40) behind Lounsbury, is much improved and will try to lead his team to build-up from last year's fifth-place finish at the meet.
Sophomore Michael Gibney (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) finished 37th overall and fifth for Bucknell, while senior Ryan Delaney (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt) finished sixth for the Orange and Blue (41st overall, 27:14.04). Both will again be looked upon to finish among the team's scorers.
Seniors Kevin Fortkiewicz (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) and Kevin Brown (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), along with juniors Chris Norcea (Ellwood City, Pa./Lincoln) and Derrin Peirret (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), as well as sophomore Wallace Campbell (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Academy) are all expected to turn in strong performances and compete among the conference's strongest runners.
"Based on previous results--most people will be picking us to finish fifth," said Donner. "We have been improving as a group all season, however we have fought some health issues with a couple key guys who seem to be ready to go now. We have nothing to lose to go after some teams."
At last year's meet, American finished first, with Navy in second, Army in third and Lehigh in the fourth position.
