Depth and experience to carry over as the Golden Eagles look to shine in BIG EAST

With the depth and experience of the 2005 women’s cross country team, anything is possible for the Golden Eagles as they look to ride the success they had in Conference USA. The Marquette women's cross country team will begin its season on Friday, September 9 at the Bradley Invitational.

After winning seven of 10 conference titles including five straight, the Golden Eagles enter the ever-tough BIG EAST Conference. This powerhouse conference stacked with strong teams, came away with four that placed in the top-15 at the NCAA championships. In 2004, Providence finished third, Notre Dame, fourth, Villanova seventh, and West Virginia rounded it out in 15th place. Providence also captured the BIG EAST title before its third-place finish at the National meet.

The Golden Eagles, stacked from top to bottom with championship experience, will be once again led by Jodi Jakubek who captured second place at her last C-USA Championship meet and paced the Golden Eagles as their top finisher in each meet during the season. Jakubek won the Bradley Invitational last season, captured second place at the C-USA Championship meet and capped her junior season placing 78th at that the NCAA Championships.

Also returning are all seven members who helped the Golden Eagles win their fifth-straight C-USA title and make their fifth appearance at the NCAA meet. Cassie Peller, Heidi Lindeman, Allison Sauer, Michaela Courtney, Susie Emond and Theresa Emond, all members of the 2004 championship squad return for the Golden Eagles this season. With the solid experience the Golden Eagles have had in C-USA and advancing to the NCAA Championships for the past five seasons, they will all be sure bets to make positive contributions this season with the move to the BIG EAST.

"We have a string of five straight nationals appearances and we want to continue that," Uhrich said. "All seven runners from the women's team are back and we are confident that we can be even better."

Even with the strength of competition, a slate of meets that includes the Great Lakes Regional, arguably the toughest regional in the nation, the Golden Eagles look to contend with the best. Uhrich added that the depth of the team and its commitment of excellence are its greatest assets.

“Our strength is that we have depth, so we should contend,” said Uhrich. “ We have athletes that are capable of finishing at the top of the BIG EAST. Depth is very important to us, so the more we have, the better off we will be.”

Along with seven women who led the Golden Eagles to their fifth straight conference title, 11 others return to add depth to Marquette’s regime. Other returnees include Kaityln Chambers, Anna Halaska, Tara Hinke, Nina Hoppenjan, Leslie Lawton, Shannon Oster, Elizabeth Pollard, Mia Supanich-Winter and Amy Stephens.

Because of the number of returnees on the roster, the Golden Eagles welcome only two newcomers to the squad in Marcy Farrell and Ashley Schweikl.

“Every single one of our athletes has had a good summer of training,” said Uhrich. “We will be ready to contend throughout the season. We don’t want to go to the conference meet as C-USA champions with the same team we had last year and finish seventh or eighth at the conference meet.”

Most all of the returnees competed in each race last season and will contribute in each race as the schedule looks similar to the 2004 slate.

"We really like the schedule. It's very similar to the schedules of the past couple of years," head coach Dave Uhrich said. "We have a couple of big meets like the Roy Griak and the pre-NCAA meet which will prepare us for good competition later in the season."

On Friday, Oct. 28, Marquette will take part in its first BIG EAST Championships. The cross country league title race will take place at Van Courtland Park in The Bronx, N.Y. Marquette competed at the 2004 Iona Meet of Champions on the same course to prepare for the BIG EAST race.

"Last year we went to a meet in N.Y. on the same course, so that will be a benefit to us," Uhrich said. "Otherwise, we won't really approach anything differently. We have a couple of big meets to prepare us for what it's going to be like at the BIG EAST meet."