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 Dan Fassinger is the lone senior on both the Catamount men and women's cross country teams entering the 2006 season this Friday. |
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Sept. 7, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina men and women's cross country teams open their 2006 schedule this Friday, Sept. 8 at the Clemson Invitational in Clemson, S.C. Earlier this week, Western was predicted to finish sixth on the men's side and seventh on the women's according to the league's head coaches.
Last year's champions - Appalachian State on the men's and Davidson on the women's - were selected to repeat as team champions as the preseason polls nearly mimicked the final standings from last year.
On the men's side, Appalachian State was chosen to repeat as champions in the preseason poll tallying 81 points and receiving nine of ten first place votes. Chattanooga followed in at second with 67 points and one first place vote. Furman is slated to finish third, followed by Davidson, UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina in sixth. Rounding out the men's preseason poll was Elon in seventh, followed by the College of Charleston, The Citadel, and Wofford.
Davidson's women beat out Chattanooga by one point for the preseason honor, getting seven first place votes and accumulating 94 points. Chattanooga had three first place votes and received 93 points to get second place. Appalachian State, who received one first place vote, was picked third, followed by Furman, Elon and College of Charleston edging out UNC Greensboro for sixth place. Western was tabbed eighth in the poll, followed by The Citadel, Georgia Southern, and Wofford.
The Catamount men's cross country roster features 11 underclassmen, including eight first-year freshmen. Head coach Danny Williamson will lean heavily upon senior Dan Fassinger and junior Dylan Hermelee as they are the lone upperclassmen for WCU. Last season, Fassinger posted Western's top finish, winning the South Carolina Invitational in his first meet as a Catamount. He just missed a top 10 at the SoCon Championships, running the 8-K course in 25:41.78 to finish 12th. His time was also the 21st-best 8-K time in Western school history. Fassinger also holds the 14th and 19th best times on that chart, as well.
Other returners for the men's squad include sophomores Jesse Ramirez and Noah Taylor and redshirt-sophomore, Field Miller.
On the women's side, the WCU roster consists of two junior runners with the remainder filled out by four sophomores and five freshmen. The Catamounts will look to top-returner, junior Kerrie Savery this year. Savery posted two 5-K all-time top times last season with the 23rd-best, all-time performance at the SoCon Championships (19:13) and the 27th-best time at the Great American Cross Country Festival (19:24). At the NCAA Southeast regionals, Savery posted Western's fourth-best 6-K time of 23:26.
Other returning team members for the Catamount women include junior Brooke Saddler and sophomores Skye Aiello, Jenna Hester, Jenny Smith, and Ann Wagner.
After opening the season this weekend at Clemson, the Catamounts will return to Cullowhee to host a home event for the first time in two years. The Western Carolina Open, which is scheduled to include teams such as Georgia, Appalachian State, UNC Asheville, Gardner-Webb, East Tennessee State and Milligan College, will be Friday, Sept. 15 at 5:00 pm. The new trail winds around the WCU campus, both beginning and ending near the Catamount Athletic Complex track.
Western will also travel to the Greater Louisville Classic in Kentucky (Sept. 30), the Blue Ridge Open in Boone (Oct. 13), and the Front Runner Invitational in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 2006 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships will be held at Moccasin Bend in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Saturday, October 28.
2006 Men's Cross Country Poll 1. Appalachian State (9) 81 2. Chattanooga (1) 67 3. Furman 63 4. Davidson 62 5. UNC Greensboro 47 6. WESTERN CAROLINA 38 7. Elon 35 8. College of Charleston 28 9. The Citadel 19 10. Wofford 102006 Women's Cross Country Poll 1. Davidson (7) 94 2. Chattanooga (3) 93 3. Appalachian State (1) 84 4. Furman 72 5. Elon 67 6. College of Charleston 48 7. UNC Greensboro 45 8. WESTERN CAROLINA 43 9. The Citadel 26 10. Georgia Southern 21 11. Wofford 12
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