Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Cross Country To Open Season Friday
August 31, 2000 | Women's Cross Country
Aug. 31, 2000
The Bowling Green State University women's cross country team opens the 2000 season Friday (Sept. 1), as the Falcons will compete in the Jeff Drenth Invitational in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The meet will feature Ferris State and host Central Michigan, in addition to the Falcons. Approximately 35 runners are expected to take part in the 4:00 p.m. race.
Last year at this time, the women's program was without a head coach, as Cami Wells did not come on board until the season had already begun. This year, Wells opens her second year - but her first full campaign - as the Falcon head coach, and she will be taking a youthful squad to Mount Pleasant.
The 15-woman travel roster for the season's first race will feature four freshmen, seven sophomores, two juniors and two seniors. Wells expects those seniors, Christine Thompson (Amherst, Ohio) and Lisa Mariea (Toledo, Ohio), to be among her top runners and provide leadership to their youthful teammates. Thompson was BGSU's top finisher in six of last fall's seven meets, and is the lone three-year letterwinner on the squad. Mariea has seen her share of time in the Falcons' top group of runners as well.
"Christine was our leading runner last year," said Wells. "Lisa Mariea has looked really good in our practices.
"I scheduled this early meet to give our runners as many chances to race as possible. We have a very big meet scheduled at Minnesota in a few weeks (Roy Griak Invitational, Sept. 23), in addition to the Mel Brodt race (Sept. 16), and I wanted to give our team a good chance to run and see where we are at."
A number of younger runners already have collegiate experience under their belts, as sophomores Cyndi Bostdorff (Pemberville, Ohio), Joy Echler (Montpelier, Ohio) and Briana Killian (Englewood, Ohio) all earned letters last fall. Wells noted that freshman Jordann Hartmann (Rockford, Mich.) is one of several newcomers who could see time in the top group.
When looking at her young squad, Wells can see a number of positive aspects.
"Our top four-to-eight runners are all pretty close together," she said. "That's a good thing, because it means we have depth.
"Overall, I have been pleased with their running in practices. Race day, however, is a whole different thing, which is the reason we scheduled these early-season races."
The Falcons are coming off a 1999 season which saw the team place 10th at the Mid-American Conference Championship. BGSU was picked to finish 10th in the league in 2000 by the league's 13 head coaches.
After Friday's race, the Falcons will host Ohio and Western Michigan on Sept. 9, prior to the Mel Brodt and Roy Griak Invitationals.
