FOR THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS
(Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002 - Updated Nov. 24, 2002)
WESLEYAN WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY QUALIFIES FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
(Team Goes on to Place 23rd at Natonals - Ranks 20th in Final National Poll)
Behind the all-New England performances of senior Katy Trandem and sophomore Courtney Quirin, the Wesleyan women's cross-country team placed fifth of 38 teams at the New England Division III Championship hosted by Westfield St. As a result, Wesleyan qualified as a team to participate in the NCAA Division III Championship, hosted by St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., Saturday, Nov 23. At Nationals, Wesleyan finished 23rd of the 24 qualifying teams. The squads top finisher was Trandem, who placed 36th in the field of 215 competitors. In the final national Division III poll, Wesleyan's women's team was ranked 20th.
Due to the strength of the region last year, New England earned four formula teams for Nationals in addition to its one automatic qualifier. Thus, the top five team qualify for the NCAAs. Last year, Middlebury, which placed second behind Williams in this year's New Englands, won the NCAA Division III title. Williams captured the 2002 national title by a wide margin with Middlebury earning a second-place finish.
The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) swept the top five spots at New Englands. Wesleyan finished behind Williams (33 points), Middlebury (61 points), Bowdoin (162 points) and Trinity (182) by scoring 206 points. Keene St. was sixth with 216.
Individually for Wesleyan, Katy Trandem was 12th in a time of 21:57 for 6,000m. Courtney Quirin, who earned All-America laurels last year when she finished 28th nationally, was 24th in 22:24. Rounding out Wesleyan's scoring five were junior Brittany Allen (46th, 23:02), frosh Erin Smith (55th, 23:09) and senior Jenn Baudreau (70th, 23:34). In total, 273 runners completed the race.
The fifth-place finish was the highest for Wesleyan's women since the Cardinals tied for fourth in 1986. Women's cross country became only the sixth Wesleyan team to qualify for Nationals, joining women's volleyball (2001), women's crew (2000 and 2001), women's tennis (2000) and baseball (1994). Wesleyan teams have only been eligible for NCAA Championships since the 1993-94 season when the NESCAC presidents overturned a conference rule banning such play.
On the men's side at the New England Cross-Country Meet, Wesleyan finished 10th of 35 teams, led by sophomore Wes Fuhrman (27th, 25:39 for 8,000m) and junior Bryan Bissell (35th, 25:51). Both earned all-New England honors as the top 35 runners (in the field of 268) receive that distinction.
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