Women's Cross Country Begins Season at Pitt Panther Opener

Friday, August 30

Pittsburgh, Pa.

6 p.m.

Bucknell University

Pitt Panther Opener

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Women's Cross Country Begins Season at Pitt Panther Opener

8/28/2019 10:45:00 AM | Women's Cross Country

SETTING THE SCENE
What: Pitt Panther Opener
When: Friday, August 30, 6 p.m.
Where: Carrie Blast Furnace, Rankin, Pa.

Course Map

The Bison will open the season with a scheduled road meet for the first time since the 2009 season, heading to the Pitt Panther Opener on Friday evening.
Pitt, which took 13^th at last year's ACC Championships, will host a home meet for the first time in over 20 years.
The course will wrap around the iconic Carrie Blast Furnace in the industrial town of Rankin, Pa. approximately eight miles outside of Pittsburgh.
The four-time reigning Patriot League Champions return 17 letterwinners from the 2018 squad. All-League picks Ashley Blair (First Team) and Nora Bennett (Second Team) return to Lewisburg from last season, but the Bison will have to replace four All-League runners from 2018.
The Bison will have to find a way to fill the void by Patriot League Champion Colleen Buckley, as well as All-League Runners Margaret Thomson, Jenna Farmer, and Payton Capes.
Lauren Gronbeck just missed out on All-League honors in 2018 after she placed 17^th at the League meet. Madeleine Hunt, Hope Beyer, and Jamie Falla will also return to Lewisburg and will look for increased roles this season.
In the opening meet last season in Lewisburg, Emily Deschler took 22^nd, with Olivia Dyer and Nora Bennett placing 28^th and 29^th, respectively.

The Drive for Five: Women's Cross Country Looks to Continue Success in 2019
Last season, Bucknell became the only team in Patriot League Cross Country history to win four straight titles on two different occasions. A fifth title would be unprecedented in the Patriot League, but Head Coach Kevin Donner will have a new ensemble this season after losing Patriot League Champion Colleen Buckley, as well as All-League runners Margaret Thomson, Jenna Farmer, and Payton Capes.

It will not be new territory for the Bison though, as Bucknell has had to replace several talented runners over the years.

"Over the past four years, we have had four of our all-time best runners in Kate Scott, Sarah Chandler, Christine Bendzinski, and Colleen Buckley," said Donner. "Three years ago, they were all on the same team and we swept the top four. All are now graduated, and it's now time for others to step up and fill those gaps. We have a saying at Bucknell, we don't' rebuild, we reload. I am excited about working with this team and seeing who steps up."

Looking to step up into a bigger role will be Ashley Blair, who returns for her junior season. The native of Selinsgrove, Pa. won an individual title in the 3000 at the Patriot League Indoor Championships. Blair will now look to improve on her sixth-place showing a season ago at the Patriot League Cross Country Championships. The other All-League returner, Nora Bennett, will also look to improve from last season's top-ten finish. Lauren Gronbeck, who was 17^th last season, also returns for her senior year looking to advance into an All-League pick after narrowly missing out in 2018. Emma Dolen also brings back valuable experience as a part of last season's championship lineup.

While the team will boast a new identity due to inexperience in 2019, Donner says his team could have the pieces already on the squad ready to take the next step forward.

"Madeleine Hunt ran some nice 1500s during the outdoor season," said Donner. Hope Beyer, Jamie Falla, and Olivia Dyer all improved during the spring. We will have a new identity this season, but we have lots of talent that has been untapped."

Donner is also excited about racing at Colgate, the site of the first title of the current four-year run for the Bison in 2015, and also the site of his first title as the Head Coach of Bucknell in 2001.

"We are excited to be racing at Colgate this year," Donner said. It's a true cross country course with narrow trails and some hills. You really need to stay focused. We have had some great meets over the years on that course, and most of our workouts will be geared for that course and the meet."

Joining the team this year will be seven freshman: Kate Amaddio, Mia Bellucci, Sarah Haas, Camille Lussier, Asta Rustad, Emma Shaw, and Julia Tambaro.

While the team will have to rely on new faces for the postseason, the goal remains the same for Bucknell in 2019. The team will open the season at the Pittsburgh Open on Aug. 30, before seeing the course at Colgate on Sept. 7 at the Harry Lang Invite. The Patriot League Championships will take place on Nov. 2 in Hamilton, N.Y.