UW-L Season Outlook

La Crosse, Wis. – Head coach Pat Healy begins his 18th season at the helm of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women’s cross country team with 20 letter winners returning, including five of the seven runners from last year’s national team. The Eagles finished 18th at the 2007 NCAA III Championships. UW-L also placed third at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships last year and finished fourth at the NCAA III Midwest Regional.

A talented group of six seniors lead the Eagles in 2008, including captains Caitlin Helgesen and Megan Johnson. Junior Zoe Browne is also a captain for the Eagles in 2008. Helgesen competed in four meets a year ago, including the Roy Griak (196th) and Tori Neubauer (204th) Invitationals. Johnson saw action in seven meets in 2007, including the NCAA III Championships, finishing 175th overall. She was 25th at the NCAA III Midwest Regional and WIAC Championships. Johnson recorded four other top-30 finishes, including 13th at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Open. She was 24th at the Neubauer Invite, 25th at the St. Olaf Invite and 29th at the Griak Invite.

Browne also competed seven times last season. She was 24th at the league championships and 38th at the NCAA III Regional. Browne competed in her first national meet, finishing 205th overall. Along with the NCAA finish, she was 57th at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Open and 60th at the Neubauer Invite.

Joining Helgesen and Johnson as seniors in 2008 are Amy Kempen, Maggie Leyendecker, Lauren Moss and Beth Richmond. Moss competed in seven meets last season, including the NCAA III Championships (211th-place). She was 39th at the NCAA III Midwest Regional and 22nd at the WIAC Championships. Moss also placed 32nd at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Open.

Along with Browne in the junior class are Meghan Dugan, Michelle Horn, Alison Kolinski, Kayla La Porte, Whitney Nefstead, Stephanie Perleberg and Katelynn Williams. Dugan and Williams each saw action in seven meets in 2007 and were members of the Eagles’ national team. Dugan finished 106th at the national meet and 26th at the regional. She also placed eighth at the Blugold Open and 22nd at the Griak Invite. Williams was UW-L’s top runner at the NCAA III Championships, finishing 55th overall. She was 15th at the regional.

Dugan and Williams both earned All-WIAC honors in 2007 as Dugan placed 11th overall (All-WIAC Second Team) and Williams was sixth (All-WIAC First Team). Williams had four other top-24 finishes, including 10th at the Blugold Open; 21st at the Neubauer Invite; 23rd at the Griak Invite and 24th at the St. Olaf Invite. Horn was fifth at the Lake Wissota Meet last season while Kolinski placed 46th at the WIAC Championships. She was 37th at the Blugold Open. La Porte competed in four meets in 2007 with a 72nd-plae finish at the Blugold Open while Nefstead saw action in five meets, including a third-place showing at Lake Wissota.

A group of 11 sophomores are on the roster this year, including Kristina Bennwitz, Rachel Boldt, Stephanie Carney, Amanda Gresl, Kasey Kallien, Brooke Kallstrom, Ellen Kumm, Mary Olson, Courtney Rucker, Mary Strous and Katie Vargo.

Bennwitz and Boldt both competed in six meets last year. Bennwitz won the Lake Wissota JV Meet while finishing 32nd at the WIAC Championships. Boldt was second at Lake Wissota and 40th at the conference meet. Kallien, Kallstrom and Strous all competed at the 2007 Neubauer Invite. Kumm and Olson saw action in five meets as freshman. Kumm finished fourth and Olson 17th at Lake Wissota. Both competed at the Griak and Neubauer Invites. Rucker was in two meets a year ago.

The 16 freshmen bring accolades from their high school careers. Kelsey Bauer was an all-conference selection all four years at Cedarburg (Wis.) High School while Jenna Buss was a three-time first team all-conference choice at Lakeside Lutheran (Wis.). Amanda Dietzen earned all-conference honors in cross country her senior season at Kimberly (Wis.) High School while Kelsey Heinz was a four-year letter winner at Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.). Four-year letter winner Corrina Jones from Madison (Wis.) Memorial was a two-time all-city cross country selection. Emily Keepman was a second-team all-conference choice at Madison (Wis.) West High School as a senior. Kriston Siemianowski earned four letters in cross country and track at Bangor (Wis.) High School while being a second team all-state selection in cross country her senior year. Stevens Point (Wis.) four-year letter winner Karlee Simkowski was her cross country and track team captain while Johanna Sumnicht of Pulaski (Wis.) earned two all-conference honors in cross country. She was also a member of Pulaski’s second-place state cross country team in 2004.

Also joining the freshmen class include: Sara Avery (Fox Valley Lutheran H.S.), Kelsie Birschbach (Wisconsin Lutheran), Leigh-Ann DesRoches (Wayzata, Minn.), Chelsie Kaderavak (Richland Center), Amanda Larson (Byron, Minn.), Nichelle Roessler (Reedsburg) and Elizabeth Wenzil (Stratford).