2008 Big East Women's Cross Country Championship Preview

LRC Big East Women XC Championships Preview Nation's Premier Teams and Individuals Set To Throw Down On Van Cortlandt This Friday
or ... Power Struggle: WVU and Villanova set to lock horns.

{Big Easts will be held on Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx on October 31, 2008}

It's going to be a great competition to watch as the women of the Big East get set to find out who is number one at cross country this weekend. #6 Villanova ran superbly at Pre-Nationals, placing their top 4 runners under the 21:00 barrier and getting 2nd place in their section. #5 West Virginia trounced #21 Penn State on the Nittany Lions' home course without their primo star Marie Louise Asselin (she broke the Paul Short meet record in winning by 21 seconds earlier this year). Georgetown's Liz Maloy is hoping for another All-League performance, as are Louisville's Tarah McKay, Rutgers' Cheyenne Ogeltree (coolest name in the NCAA?), and Providence star Danette Doetzel. In all, aside from 2007 champion Melissa Grelli of Georgetown, the top 15 individuals are returning to this year's meet!

Conference Score Taking Out Last Year's Srs.

1. West Virginia (64)

2. Providence (100)

3. Georgetown (110)

3. Syracuse (110)

5. Villanova (114)

6. Notre Dame (133)

7. Louisville (170)

8. Marquette (174)

9. Cincinnati (194)

10. Rutgers (282)

11. Connecticut (318)

12. DePaul (324)

Last year, West Virginia had a tough fight on their hands (legs) with Providence. This year, the Mountaineers will be in a dogfight with the Villanova Wildcats for 1st. We're going with WVU and Marie Louse Asselin, as her name sounds like assassin, and people from West Virginia and Canada are tough*. Good reasons? Well, find a better way to distinguish between these two great teams and we'll consider it**. Check out our predictions below; we have a good feeling that we got this conference down!

*Free locker room material for the 'Nova Wildcats

**suggestions@letsrun.com

LRC Big East Women's Team Predictions
1. West Virginia (by a comfortable margin, we'll say 30 - 47)
2. Villanova
3. Georgetown
4. Providence
5. Notre Dame
6. Syracuse
7. Louisville?
... it gets a little shaky down here ... seriously these teams should be relegated to a lower division.

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LRC Big East Women's Individual Predictions

1. Marie Louise Asselin WVU (seriously, who wouldn't want her on their team, her name just sounds tough!*)

2. Keri Bland WVU (see, her name doesn't have the same intimidation factor)

3. Danette Doetzel PROV

4. Clara Grandt WVU

5. Tarah McKay The 'Ville

6. Bogdana Mimic 'Nova

7. Frances Koons 'Nova

8. Kaitlyn Tallman 'Nova

9. Liz Maloy GTOWN

10. Ahna Lewis WVU

11. Amanda Marino 'Nova

12. Cheyenne Ogeltree Rutgers (another great name)

*it probably means "gentle summer butterfly" or something

2007 Big East XC Women's Results

Interesting number: 16 teams (yowza!) toe the line for the women's Big East Championships

Consistent Providence: top 2 for the last 5 years

On the rise, West Virginia: 12th in 2005, 6th in 2006, 1st in 2007

Hungry for more: 2008 Big Easts feature the top 15 from 2007's Big East Championships all returning (except Melissa Grelli went to Oregon and spoiled the cool fact).

Top 6 Teams at 2007 Big East:

1. WVU 77

2. Providence 87

3. GTown 92

4. Syracuse 119

5. Villanova 125

6. Notre Dame 142

Top 12 Individuals at 2007 Big East

              1    1   397 Melissa Grelli      Georgetown         Cupertino       CA              Jr    10:27.60 20:05.55

              2    2   590 Marie Loui Asselin  West Virginia     
Sarnia          Ontario         So.   10:27.60 20:19.30

              3    3   477 Danette Doetzel     Providence        
Macklin         Saskatchewan    Jr    10:28.25 20:27.85

              4    4   591 Keri Bland          West
Virginia      Fairview        WV              So.   10:28.75 20:30.70

              5    5   564 Nana Sang Bender    Syracuse          
Syracuse        NY              Jr    10:30.25 20:42.10

              6    6   476 Katie DiCamillo     Providence        
Garden City     NY              Jr    10:39.75 20:50.85

              7    7   577 Sheila Reid         Villanova          Newmarket       Ontario         Fr    10:43.85 20:53.40

              8    8   594 Clara Grandt        West Virginia      West Union      WV              So.   10:46.75 20:59.10

              9    9   422 Tarah McKay         Louisville         St. Clements    Ontario         So    10:36.95 21:00.70

             10   10   496 Cheyenne Ogletree   Rutgers     
      Garfield        NJ              Jr.   10:57.50 21:04.00

             11   11   478 Krystal Douglas     Providence        
Harpswell       ME              So    10:46.45 21:06.00

             12   12   401 Elizabeth Maloy     Georgetown        
Loudonville     NY              Sr    10:55.10 21:06.45

Hypothetical results based on returners from 2007 conference meet + selected results from major 2008 meets

In listing a score for the returners, we remove last year's seniors and score the hypothetical meet in a normal fashion; i.e., runners who were outside a team's top 7 last year but move into the top 7 when seniors are removed have been counted as scorers or displacers. Returning runners who remain outside their team's top 7 do not figure into either scoring or displacing and count as extras.

Obviously, some runners listed as retuners will, in fact, not be running this season. New recruits or transfers will also clearly have an immediate impact, as will runners left off of last year's squads who may have improved dramatically this year. These lists are merely a reflection of what the teams' returning conference runners did at last year's meet and how they would have placed if last year's seniors were removed - nothing more, nothing less.

Below each team's returners, the most recent major 2008 results are given (e.g., Pre-Nationals).
1. West Virginia (64)

2. Providence (100)

3. Georgetown (110)

3. Syracuse (110)

5. Villanova (114)

6. Notre Dame (133)

7. Louisville (170)

8. Marquette (174)

9. Cincinnati (194)

10. Rutgers (282)

11. Connecticut (318)

12. DePaul (324)
...

1. West Virginia (64)

Marie-Louise Asselin (2) *won Paul Short section by 21 seconds in new course record, did not run at Penn State
Keri Bland (4)
Clara Grandt (8)
Maria Dalzot (24)
Kate Harrison (26)
Kaylyn Christopher (33)
Alison Spiker (52)

PENN STATE NATIONAL '08

1. West Virginia
    2    1  Keri Bland, Jr*, West Virginia              20:11  
    3    2  Clara Grandt, Jr*, West Virginia            20:17  
    8    2  Ahna Lewis, Fr*, West Virginia              20:56  
    9    1  Kaylyn Christopher, So*, West Virginia      20:59  
   18    4  Kate Harrison, So*, West Virginia           21:07  
   21    6  Jessica O'Connell, So*, West Virginia       21:11  

67   17  Karly Hamric, Jr*, West Virginia            22:11  
Time = 1:43:28     Places = 40

2. Providence (100)

Danette Doetzel (3)
Katie DiCamillo (6)
Krystal Douglas (11)
Breffini Twohig (36)
Sarah Morgan (44)
Kate Leugers (74)
Amie Schumacher (83)

PRE NATS '08

11. 334 Providence (21:22.0 106:49.6)

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1 10 1201 Danette Doetzel 20:23.8

2 72 1202 Krystal Douglas 21:30.3

3 80 1209 Breffini Twohig 21:34.9

4 84 1199 Hannah Davidson 21:38.4

5 88 1200 Katie Dicamillo 21:42.2

6 (128) 1198 Mary Kate Champagne 22:09.1

7 (166) 1205 Sarah Morgan 22:27.5

3. Georgetown (110)

Melissa Grelli (1) *transferred to Oregon

Elizabeth Maloy (11) *back for a super senior year
Lise Ogrodnick (12)
Renee Tomlin (25)
Lauren Gregory (28)
Kelsey Malmquist (34)
Natasha LaBeaud (39)
(only 6 returning finishers)

PRE NATS '08

4. 186 Georgetown ( 21:10 1:45:48)

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1 12 456 Elizabeth Maloy 20:44

2 27 454 Natasha Labeaud 21:02

3 38 453 Emily Infeld 21:12

4 43 457 Katie McCafferty 21:16

5 66 459 Lise Ogrodnick 21:34

6 ( 69) 452 Lauren Gregory 21:36

7 (154) 458 Avril Ogrodnick 22:23

3. Syracuse (110)

Nana Sang Bender (5)
Katie Hursey (18)
Rebekah MacKay (23)
Maegan Krifchin (29)
Stefanie Slekis (35)
Lynne Mundy (53)
(only 6 returning finishers)

PRE NATS '08

11. 375 Syracuse ( 21:39 1:48:13)

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1 44 1328 Nana Sang-Bender 21:16

2 76 1323 Maegan Krifchin 21:40

3 83 1330 Heather Stephens 21:45

4 84 1320 Catherine Desarle 21:45

5 88 1325 Rebekah MacKay 21:47

6 ( 90) 1327 Lauren Penney 21:49

7 (229) 1329 Stefanie Slekis 23:27

5. Villanova (114)

Sheila Reid (7)
Callie Hogan (19)
Ellen Dougherty (27)
Amanda Marino (30)
Ali Smith (31)
Theresa Rush (47)
Kaitlyn Tallman (50)

PRE NATS '08

2. 126 Villanova (20:51.7 104:18.3)

==========================================================

1 13 1558 Bogdana Mimic 20:33.4

2 14 1556 Frances Koons 20:35.8

3 25 1561 Kaitlyn Tallman 20:53.9

4 30 1557 Amanda Marino 20:59.8

5 44 1555 Callie Hogan 21:15.4

6 ( 65) 1559 Sarah Morrison 21:25.5

7 (137) 1560 Alison Smith 22:13.9

6. Notre Dame (133)

Lindsey Ferguson (13)
Marissa Treece (20)
Becca Bauman (22)
Emily Wauford (32)
Abby Higgins (46)
Beth Tacl (51)
(only 6 returning finishers)

PRE NATS '08

13. 420 Notre Dame ( 21:42 1:48:26)

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1 26 1025 Lindsey Ferguson 21:01

2 40 1033 Marissa Treece 21:13

3 108 1026 Abby Higgins 22:00

4 115 1034 Rachel Velarde 22:03

5 131 1024 Becca Bauman 22:09

6 (147) 1032 Beth Tacl 22:18

7 (159) 1035 Emily Wauford 22:26

7. Louisville (170)

Tarah McKay (9)
Emily Borsare (14)
Lottie Jacobs (38)
Kelsey Page (49)
Kat Alcorn (60)
Kortni Dukes (61)
Kathryn Long (79)

PRE NATS '08

27. 745 Louisville (22:14.8 111:13.6)

==========================================================

1 12 712 Tarah McKay 20:29.1

2 114 708 Emily Borsare 21:59.6

3 187 713 Kelsie Page 22:40.3

4 200 711 Kathryn Long 22:49.4

5 232 709 Kortni Dukes 23:15.2

6 (266) 714 Lorna Whaley 24:14.4

8. Marquette (174)

Jayne Grebinski (17)
Anna Weber (21)
Amanda Beggs (40)
Kristen Pelzel (41)
Dani Owen (55)
Laura Steinmetz (76)
(only 6 returning finishers)

PRE NATS '08

26. 719 Marquette (22:16.7 111:23.1)

==========================================================

1 93 748 Laurie Dalrymple 21:45.9

2 113 758 Anna Weber 21:59.2

3 120 747 Amanda Beggs 22:05.8

4 182 752 Maureen Keane 22:37.2

5 211 750 Kate Horan 22:55.0

6 (272) 751 Olivia Johnson 24:32.1

9. Cincinnati (194)

Lilian Jelimo (15)
Jill Glassmeyer (16)
Tamara Masters (42)
Megan Knapp (59)
Michele McKenney (62)
Katie Lewnard (82)
(only 6 returning finishers)

PRE NATS '08

30. 770 Cincinnati ( 22:31 1:52:34)

==========================================================

1 35 224 Lilian Jelimo 21:11

2 128 228 Tamara Masters 22:08

3 156 225 Megan Knapp 22:24

4 205 226 Alison Leckrone 23:01

5 246 229 Michele McKenney 23:50

6 (254) 232 Samantha Rhodes 24:24

7 (258) 230 Tanya Neumann 24:34

10. Rutgers (282)

Cheyenne Ogletree (10)
Asha Singh (37)
Alison Caruana (56)
Karen Wilson (85)
Brittnee Bynoe (94)
(only 5 returning finishers)

11. Connecticut (318)

Kate Vaughan (57)
Sadie Ball (63)
Chrissy Meagher (64)
Alasia Griebel (66)
Caitlin Cannon (68)
Keelan King (72)
Rebecca McCollum (73)

12. DePaul (324)

Terah Cheatham (45)
Stephanie Hughes (54)
Mary Cate Quiett (58)
Reda Josifi (67)
Katie Rodgers (100)
(only 5 returning finishers)

13. Pittsburgh (353)

Anna Yoney (48)
June Farley (69)
Monica Bhattacharjee (71)
Nicole Bielick (81)
Melissa Vignetti (84)
(only 5 returning finishers)

14. St. John's (396)

Tyneka Greene (65)
Sarah Sudbury (70)
Sarah Fry (86)
Pamela Petruski (87)
Lori Dougherty (88)
Kayla Regulski (91)
Laura Walsh (98)

15. Seton Hall (401)

Kerry Cahill (43)
Alexandra Hehn (80)
Chavanne Hubbard (90)
Jackie Hobbs (93)
Madison Wrest (95)
Clare Byrne (97)
Diane Szaflarski (99)

16. USF (411)

Lisa Giblin (75)
Kayle Matthews (77)
Kelly Savery (78)
Rachel Etinenne (89)
Rebecca Zuhlke (92)
Kristy Cooper (96)
(only 6 returning finishers)

*Disagree with our predictions? Vote in our NCAA Polls (National and Conference Voting) or email us
*LetsRun.com NCAA XC Conference Polls from 10/17/08