2008 SEC Women's Cross Country Preview

It's going to be a tight battle in the women's SEC between last year's champions, #13 Arkansas, and the new-look #14 Florida Lady Gators. Of UF's top 6 on their 5th-place Pre-Nationals team, only their first runner was among their top 6 returners at SECs last year. Arkansas returns 4. Of course, the Razorbacks and the Gators did not meet at Pre-Nationals because Arkansas stays home to host Chile Pepper, so we'll have to wait and see until conference. Our prediction goes with the experience of Arkansas.

Scoring Meet Removing Last Year's Seniors:
1. Arkansas (33)
2. Tennessee (72)
3. Florida (92)
4. Kentucky (102)
5. Georgia (136)
6. Auburn (149)
7. Vanderbilt (198)
8. Alabama (239)
9. S. Carolina (275)
10. Mississippi (incomplete score)
11. Mississippi State (incomplete score)

Tennessee and Kentucky look to fight closely for spots 3 and 4 following the Penn State meet, where the two teams placed 5th and 6th, respectively, only separated by 10 points. Behind them, Georgia and Auburn will be close for 5th and 6th. After that, there's not a whole lot of depth to this year's meet.

Individually, it should be a great competition between Tennessee's Sarah Bowman, Florida's Jacy Kruzel, Auburn's Hollie Knight and Arkansas' Catherine White.

2008 LRC Team Predictions:
1. Arkansas
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. Kentucky
5. Auburn
6. Georgia

...

2008 LRC Individual Predictions

1. Sarah Bowman (Tenn)

2. Hollie Knight (Aub)

3. Jacy Kruzel (Fla)

4. Catherine White (Ark)

5. Natalie Picchetti (Georgia)

6. Genevieve Lacaze (Fla)

7. Crabb Ali (Fla)

8. Christine Kalmer (Ark)

9. Jessica Ortman (UK)

10.

Top 5 2007 Teams:

1. Arkansas

2. Tennessee

3. Georgia

4. Florida

5. Kentucky

Top 20 2007 Individuals

1 Madebach, Sarah SR Univ. of Georgia 20:49.11 1

2 Kalmer, Christine JR Univ. of Arkansas 20:53.02 2

3 Picchetti, Natalie JR Univ. of Georgia 20:55.93 3

4 Bowman, Sarah JR Univ. of Tennessee 20:58.13 4

5 Rosen, Jillian FR Univ. of Arkansas 21:01.76 5

6 Bargiachi, Denise JR Univ. of Arkansas 21:05.20 6

7 Van Horn, Katie JR Univ. of Tennessee 21:09.20 7

8 Kruzel, Jacy JR Univ. of Florida 21:12.49 8

9 Magill-Dahl, Heidi JR Univ. of Tennessee 21:16.45 9

10 Parry, Dani SO Univ. of Arkansas 21:17.49 10

11 Knight, Hollie FR Auburn Univ. 21:18.75 11

12 Lowe, Rebecca FR Univ. of Florida 21:21.08 12

13 Moody, Haley FR Univ. of Alabama 21:22.09 13

14 Halasek, Andrea JR Univ. of Kentucky 21:25.68 14

15 Vernon, Kiah SR Univ. of Georgia 21:26.43 15

16 Barr, Dacia JR Univ. of Arkansas 21:26.47 16

17 Fischer, Sabrina SO Auburn Univ. 21:30.54 17

18 Ortman, Jessica JR Univ. of Kentucky 21:31.92 18

19 Hammes, Sarah FR Mississippi St. 21:32.50 19

20 Sundell, Lindsay SR Univ. of Florida 21:33.98 20

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. Arkansas (33)

2. Tennessee (72)

3. Florida (92)

4. Kentucky (102)

5. Georgia (136)

6. Auburn (149)

7. Vanderbilt (198)

8. Alabama (239)

9. S. Carolina (275)

10. Mississippi (incomplete score)

11. Mississippi State (incomplete score)

1. Arkansas (33)

Christine Kalmer (1)
Jillian Rosen (4)
Denise Bargiachi (5)
Dani Parry (9)
Dacia Barr (14)
Miranda Walker (18)
Catherine White (19)

2008 Chile Pepper

1. #12 TEXAS TECH 73

2. #13 ARKANSAS

7 16 17 25 36 (98)(108) = 101

Catherine White, Denise Bargiachi, Christine Kalmer, Jillian Rosen,

Megan Jackson, Ashley Williams, Samantha Learch

2. Tennessee (72)

Sarah Bowman (3)
Katie Van Horn (6)
Heidi Magill-Dahl (8)
Brittany Sheffey (24)
Jackie Areson (31)
Rolanda Bell (42)
Phoebe Wright (45)

2008 Penn State National

5. Tennessee
    5    2  Sarah Bowman, Sr*, Tennessee                20:24  
   30    8  Jackie Areson, Jr*, Tennessee               21:22  
   36   10  Brittany Sheffey, So*, Tennessee            21:27  
   45   14  Rolanda Bell, Sr*, Tennessee                21:45  
   46   11  Phoebe Wright, Jr*, Tennessee               21:46  
   93   21  Ally Colvin, Fr*, Tennessee                 22:48  
  111   24  Elizabeth Altizer, Fr*, Tennessee           23:06 

Time = 1:46:42     Places = 162

3. Florida (92)

Jacy Kruzel (7)
Rebecca Lowe (11)
Alison Babb (23)
Sara Petrick (25)
Ali Crabb (26)
Kathryn Kramer (33)
Julie Northrup (38)

2008 Pre-Nats

  5.   233 Florida                                     (21:13.5 106:07.5)
==========================================================
1     22    412 Jacy Kruzel          20:52.3
2     32    413 Genevieve Lacaze     21:05.4
3     35    406 Crabb Ali            21:07.5
4     67    408 Browning Charlotte   21:28.2
5     77    416 Sara Petrick         21:34.1
6   ( 89)   417 Kaitlin Shiver       21:42.9
7 (102)   415 Julie Northrup       21:54.0

4. Kentucky (102)

Andrea Halasek (13)
Jessica Ortman (16)
Leah Ryan (21)
Jenna Ortman (22)
Taylor Miller (30)
Katherine Peterson (37)
Lindsay Petri (44)

2008 Penn State National

6. Kentucky
   19    5  Jessica Ortman, Sr*, Kentucky               21:09  
   23    7  Jenna Ortman, Sr*, Kentucky                 21:13  
   29    9  Andrea Halasek, Sr*, Kentucky               21:19  
   34    9  Katherine Peterson, So*, Kentucky           21:25  
   62   15  Lindsay Petri, Jr*, Kentucky                22:02  
  116   26  Suzanne Holt, So*, Kentucky                 23:11  
  118   27  Claire Laverty, Jr*, Kentucky               23:15  
Time
= 1:47:07     Places = 167

5. Georgia (136)

Natalie Picchetti (2)
Emily Houston (28)
Jill Skinner (32)
Kylie Foley (34)
Katie Weise (40)
Bridget Lyons (41)
(only 6 returning finishers)

2008 Pre-Nats

16. 467 Georgia                                     (21:46.9 108:54.4)
==========================================================
1     33    469 Natalie Picchetti    21:05.9
2    101    471 Kiah Vernon          21:53.2
3    108    467 Bridget Lyons        21:55.6
4    110    463 Jennifer Barbi       21:57.3
5    115    464 Kylie Foley          22:02.4
6   (159)   465 Emily Houston        22:24.5
7   (186)   466 Kristie Krueger      22:39.7

6. Auburn (149)

Hollie Knight (10)
Sabrina Fischer (15)
Laurel Pritchard (29)
Amber Riley (36)
Allison Smith (59)
Katelyn Simpson (62)
(only 6 returning finishers)

2008 Pre-Nats

18.   498 Auburn                                      (21:42.4 108:31.9)
==========================================================
1      2     91 Hollie Knight        20:13.4
2     91     93 Amber Riley          21:44.8
3     92     92 Laurel Pritchard     21:45.4
4    112     90 Sabrina Fischer      21:58.7
5    201     88 Becca Bell           22:49.6
6   (241)    94 Allison Smith        23:29.4
7   (278)    89 Cathryn Albright     26:14.2

7. Vanderbilt (198)

Rita Jorgensen (27)
Carmen Mims (35)
Adrienne DiRaddo (39)
Ellen Black (47)
Carolyn Bell (50)
Erin Guglielmo (52)
Kate Southcote-Want (54)

2008 Pre-Nats

27.   652 Vanderbilt                                  ( 22:10 1:50:49)
==========================================================
1     39   1538 Rita Jorgensen         21:12
2    110   1535 Kristabel Doebel-Hickok   22:01
3    166   1541 Amanda Scott           22:31
4    168   1540 Alexa Rogers           22:32
5    169   1534 Adrienne Diraddo       22:33
6   (215) 1543 Kate Southcote-Want    23:12

7 (222) 1537 Louise Hannallah 23:19

8. Alabama (239)

Haley Moody (12)
Farrah Stewart (53)
Ashley Ard (56)
Meghan Hawkins (58)
Megan Williams (60)
Kelsie Slater (64)
Rue Chitwood (65)

2008 Chile Pepper

12. ALABAMA

18 21 107 119 125 (147)(171) = 390

Sara Vaughn, Kelsey Johnson, Sarah Gilmore, Leigh Gilmore, Andrea

Torske, Haley Moody, Rue Chitwood

9. S. Carolina (275)

Ashley Evens (43)
Callie Rabun (51)
Kelsey Bristol (57)
Tara Tae (61)
Megan Robers (63)
Cassity Brewer (66)
Laura Pramstaller (68)

2008 Pre-Nats

39. 1076 South Carolina                              (23:08.3 115:41.4)
==========================================================
1    141   1261 Beatrice Biwott      22:17.1
2    221   1262 Ashley Evens         23:06.5
3    224   1260 Danielle Barnes      23:10.6
4    243   1264 Elizabeth Heath      23:32.5
5    247   1263 Erin Fedewa          23:34.7
6   (257) 1270 Shannon Walls        23:54.6
7   (271) 1269 Katie Walls          24:26.6

10. Mississippi (incomplete score)

Julie Little (55)
Anna Adams (67)
Allison Kneip (69)
Lindsay Doucett (71)
(only 4 returning finishers)

2008 Pre-Nats

38. 1222 Mississippi                                 ( 24:02 2:00:06)
==========================================================
1    220    868 Logan Waites           23:18
2    236    866 Julie Little           23:38
3    247    865 Allison Kneip          23:51
4    259    863 Anna Adams             24:36
5    260    864 Lindsey Doucett        24:43
6   (267)   867 Jamie McCulloch        25:59

11. Mississippi State (incomplete score)

Sarah Hammes (17)
Simone Domingue (20)
Diamond Marks (70)
Shannon McGee (72)
(only 4 returning finishers)

2008 Pre-Nats

33.   875 Mississippi St.                             (22:38.3 113:11.5)
==========================================================
1    116    882 Renee Masterson      22:02.8
2    147    876 Lydia Chebii         22:20.9
3    162    880 Bominique Lockhart   22:25.4
4    210    878 Simone Domingue      22:54.5
5    240    875 Loren Bruce          23:27.9
6   (244)   879 Sarah Hammes         23:32.6
7   (265)   877 Anais Dechamps       24:11.6

12. LSU (incomplete score)

Megan Broussard (46)
Lindsay Day (48)
Christina Porter (49)
(only 3 returning finishers)

Pre-Nationals combined results

11. Florida 435 points