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Owl harriers look to get back on course
KEENE, N.H. 8/26/09 - It's time for the Keene State cross country teams to hit the road. The Owls, who were picked ninth and seventh respectively in the recently released New England men's and women's polls, have a lot of ground to make up.
Last year marked the first time since 1997 that Keene State wasn't represented at the NCAA Division III Championship. One of the top teams heading into the regional race last fall, the Owl men had a disappointing seventh place finish while a young KSC women's squad placed ninth.
With the loss of three runners from his lead pack, Coach Peter Thomas has tempered the expectations for his men's team this fall. "The challenge is there for them to get after it," he said. "We have a lot of work to do."
Senior Jared Samuel (Londonderry, N.H.), an NCAA qualifier as a sophomore, is expected to lead a pack that includes the junior foursome of Brandon Schillemat (Nelson, N.H.), Eric MacKnight (Newtown, Conn.), Jeff Trethewey (Merrimack, N.H.) and Corey Loonan (Sandwich, Mass.). Junior Timothy Pipp (New Ipswich, N.H.), who missed the outdoor track season with an injury, and sophomore Kevin Hoyt (Newtown, Conn.), will also be hunt for a spot on the varsity.
"We're just looking to redeem ourselves from last year," said Samuel. "We have a good returning team. Everyone put in some good miles this summer, so I think we're ready to go."
David Berube (Manchester, N.H.), Chris Plankey (Bristol, N.H.), and Brett Mastrangello (Mills, Mass.) top the list of freshmen.
The prospects are high for a KSC women's team that returns its top runners. Rita Marcotte will once again take her place as the leader of the pack. The senior from Heath, Mass., raced to All-Region honors and was named LEC runner of the year last fall. "I feel the team will have another great season." said Marcotte, who hopes the Owls can finish in the top-five and qualify for nationals. "We didn't lose any of our top runners and we've added some talented newcomers and freshmen who will make a big contribution."
Coming back from a stress fracture injury sustained midway through the season, junior Nicole Slane (Milford, N.H.) is also expected be a front-runner for the Owls along with junior Amy Knoblock (Plymouth, Mass.) and sophomores Andrea Walsh (Bolton, Conn.), Paige Mills (Keene, N.H.), LEC rookie of the year Heather Pierce (Buckland, Mass.) and Natalie Ferro (Dennis, Mass.).
A pair of newcomers, juniors Allison Chamberlain (Scarborough, Me.) and Haley Lydstone (Bedford, N.H.) should also make their mark on the trail. Both runners are coming off strong spring track seasons and look to add depth to a promising cross country team this fall.
"There's going to be fierce competition for spots on the varsity," said Thomas. "We have nine runners that have the potential to score and be in our top five."
Taking a step back to take a step forward, Thomas is going back to his 1980 schedule, which includes fewer early season races and more workout time, to help jump start his runners. "I just want to mix it up," he said. We'll put down a good base and see heat happens in October."
Keene State will host three meets at Owl Athletic Complex this season. KSC will begin its season with a revamped alumni race that will include UMass-Lowell and Babson College on Sept. 5. The Owls will host the 15th annual KSC Invitational on Oct 3 and the Alliance/LEC Championships on Oct. 31.
Keene State is the defending LEC champs. The Owl women will be racing for their 10th consecutive crown while the KSC men, who have won a combined 10 LEC championships, will be looking to hold off a strong challenge from Southern Maine.
Thomas hopes his teams will improve throughout the season and make their presence felt at the NCAA qualifying meet. "It takes more than talking about it or winning a few races. "We need to show up in November and make a statement at the New England regional race," he said.
