Last Saturday, the women and men’s cross-country teams competed at the NCAA Regional meet in Alma, Mich. at Alma College. “I think Regionals went really well and the team did well as a whole,” said first-year Marie Barnett. “The course was very fast and the weather was ideal for running.”

Barnett was the third finisher for the Yeowomen, finishing in 23:50.40, placing her 79th overall in the region.

The women’s 6000-meter race was highlighted by senior co-captain Shannon Morris’s qualification for the NCAA National meet to take place on Nov. 20 in Eau Claire, Wis. “She put herself in the right position; it was fantastic,” commented Head Coach Ray Appenheimer. “In all my years of coaching, this is as close to a perfect race as I’ve seen.”

“Shannon was so calm on the outside, though on the inside she is one of the most competitive runners I know, and through her leadership all of us have thrived,” said sophomore Ariane Burwell. “There is no one more fitting to represent us at Nationals.”

“[Morris] wasn’t expected to make [a National cut], but she ran a great time of 22:10:5 and finished 10th,” said first-year Alison Doniger.

Doniger placed close behind Morris in 16th place, with an overall time of 22:21.60. She noted that her finish was “just about right,” based on her performance this season.

The fourth finisher for the women’s regional team was first-year Danielle Koplinka-Loehr, whose 23:54.90 time earned her 85th place.

Ariane Burwell was not far behind with her 102nd place finish in 24:26.30, and junior Angie Parker finished in 25:14.50 for 152nd place. Sophomore Barrie Newberger crossed the line in 25:48.80 for 163rd place, helping the Yeowomen earn a 12th place finish overall, a five-slot improvement from their 2003 Regional standing.

The men’s team maintained their team status, dropping only one place from their 19th place finish in 2003. “As a team, Regionals was our strongest race of the season,” said sophomore Travis Grout. “Twentieth place in the Great Lake Region was as good a spot as we could have expected and the way we did it gives me a lot of hope for next year.”

Grout’s 36th place finish in 25:41.60 paved the way for the 20th place overall for the Yeomen. “He was running with some of the best runners in the country and I think the learning experience was incredible for him,” said Appenheimer. “He is going to qualify for nationals in the years to come.”

Grout ran a good race but missed the National cut he had been vying for. “According to official NCAA results, I [improved my best time] by about 50 seconds. If that sounds crazy, well, that’s because it is!” said Grout, who noted that his improvement could be due to the flat course, the fast competition and the fact that the course was, in actuality, 100 meters short.

Sophomore John Shaw crossed the line in 26:57 for 96th place, improving 108 places from last year. “Assuming he keeps that up, we can reasonably expect him to be negative 14th [place] next fall,” quipped Grout.

Completing the final collegiate-level race of his career, senior co-captain Mike Pennino finished 116th overall in 27:17.70. “Pennino toasted his opponents like bagels, finishing out his cross-country career on a high note,” said Grout.

The fourth finisher for the Yeomen was sophomore Matt Ferris-Smith in 27:22.50, earning him 121st place. Junior Robby Tinker placed 143rd in 27:51. “Tinker began eating meat again; his speed has been improving,” said Pennino. “Robby’s dedication to this team shows that he will be a strong leader for the team next year.”

First-year Andrew Higgins finished in 27:56 for 148th place and in 156th place was the team’s seventh finisher, Dan Lesser, completing the 8000-meter course in 28:15.10. “Despite not having as much experience running at a college level, [Higgins and Lesser] have had excellent seasons and I’m sure they and the rest of the team will continue to improve,” said Pennino.

Appenheimer shares many of the same views as Pennino: “Both teams saw a tremendous improvement over the course of the season. I’m so lucky to be involved with a group of such energetic, motivated people.”

Coaching 36 athletes to cross-country success cannot be done single-handedly, however. Appenheimer pointed to the help of assistant coaches Jason Hudson and Jennifer Sturges as having been “invaluable” during his first year as head coach.

“The team ran great this year, which I think is in large part to the great coaching staff,” said Barnett. “[Appenheimer’s] workouts paid off [with] fast times and I think the team has grown to really respect him.”

Hudson, who was the head cross-country coach for the past two years, is now the head coach for the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams. The indoor track and field season begins Dec. 11 with a meet at Kent State University.