Bowling Green State University Athletics
With Newcomers on Board, Falcons Ready to Take Flight
August 25, 2006 | Men's Cross Country
Aug. 25, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Head coach Cami Wells welcomes back 15 athletes from the 2005 squad as well as 13 newcomers for preparations for the 2006 season with two-a-day practices that began on August 14.
Wells begins her eighth season as head coach for the women's team and fifth season of the men's season.
The men's team may look small, but their effect may be huge. The Falcons come off an eighth place finish at last year's MAC Championships and is looking to improve the standings this fall. The MAC coaches pre-season poll put the Falcons at the number eight slot once again.
"I am very happy with the men's team so far as a whole they put in a great summer," said Wells. "The men are very focused and excited to get out and prove that they are a much improved squad."
The Falcons return senior and two-time letter winner Rogers Kipchumba, the top male runner for the team for both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Kevin Kaighin joins Kipchumba as the two seniors on the team.
Kipchumba has lead the Falcons in 15 straight races, finishing 13 for the second year in a row at the MAC Championships and earning second-team All-MAC honors in 2005.
The team also returns letter winners and co-captains Edgar Ramirez and Curtis Farnsel.
Ramirez was a top-five runner for the Falcons in 2005, where he spent the majority of the 2005 season as the team's number two runner, an impressive feat after taking a year off.
Farnsel leadership impressed many during the 2005 season especially coach Wells. He competed in five of seven meets for the Falcons last fall.
Kipchumba will no longer be the lone Kenyan on the team as two of his fellow countrymen will join him. Eddie Kipchoge and Hillary Maiyo, both of El Doret, Kenya join the team this fall in hopes to help the Falcons.
Brad Wells, a native of Portage, Ohio, by way of Dickinson, North Dakota, joins the Orange and Brown for the 2006 season as a transfer from The University of the Cumberlands. The brother of head coach Cami Wells looks to add some much needed strength and experience to the team.
Bringing an impressive high school resume is the team's only freshman, newcomer Kyle Kilbane, the Brunswick, Ohio native. Also, junior transfer Dennis Hange will red shirt the 2006 season.
The test for the Falcons will be the races, their first of which will be against Toledo next Friday (Sept. 1, 5p.m.). "I am really looking forward to seeing them race," said Wells. "The men are being led in workouts by Eddie Kipchoge, Brad Wells and Rogers Kipchumba but all of the men have stepped up over the first week and that has been great to see."
The women on the other hand, bring back a very large, talented core group looking to contend in the MAC. The women's team is coming off a tenth place finish last fall, but don't turn away now as they were voted to finish sixth in the MAC coaches pre-season poll.
Jamie Roflow was the lead runner for the Falcons in 2005, the top runner for the team in all seven races. She claimed All-MAC for cross country as well as outdoor track. She also had a 28th place finish at the 2005 Great Lakes Regional, just narrowly missing All-Region. She is coming off a very successful track season, where she was on the podium many times.
Roflow is joined by two other women who have been leading the team during preseason workouts: Co-captains Stephanie Hillman, a junior, and Kim Settle, a senior.
"The women's team looks very solid," said Wells. "Jamie Roflow, Stephanie Hillman and Kim Settle are doing a great job leading the team in workouts."
Other returning letter winners include seniors Angie Raizis, Bridget Dalic, and Andrea Pollack.
The 2006 freshman class could also make a huge impact for the women's team this fall. The new freshman include several locals as well as several who have traveled far to compete for the Orange and Brown. The list includes Carly Bates (Palentine, Ill.), Lindsay Conway (Rochester, N.Y.), Autumn Dettman (Watertown, Wisc) who will red shirt the 2006 season, Emily Gallagher (Xenia, Ohio), Hillary Hewitt (Westfield Ctr., Ohio), Page Lane (Bowling Green, Ohio), Andrea Pereira de Almeida (Bowling Green, Ohio), Danielle Thornton (Luckey, Ohio), and Lauren Zielke (Mount Pleasant, Ill.).
"We have a lot more depth this season with our 4 through 8 runners pretty close together," said Wells. "There are many women on the squad who will have a chance to be top 5 runners for us this fall and I am looking forward to seeing how they improve from week to week."
So with two squads that may make huge strides over last year's squad, what is Coach Wells' main concern?
"Our main goal with both squads is to keep everyone healthy and working hard so that we can reach our team and individual goals at the MAC meet," said Wells.
As for the schedule, the Falcons will first take part in their annual dual against rival Toledo on Sept. 1 at 5 p.m., with the women running first.
After two weeks of rest their second race of the season will be the 20th Annual Mel Brodt Invitational on Sept. 17 at 11:00 a.m.
The will then head to Minneapolis, Minn. to the Roy Griak Invitational.
After that they will head back to Ohio to compete at the All-Ohio Championships on Oct. 6. The women are looking to place higher than their fourth place team finish a year ago.
After that, the teams will stay at home Oct 13 for the third annual Falcon Invitational to tune up for the MAC Championships.
The Falcons will then make the long bus ride to Buffalo, N.Y. to compete at the MAC Championships.
Two weeks later, they stay at home for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional November 11.
