University of Massachusets Athletics
WXC Boston Bound For New England Champs
October 06, 2011 | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 6, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. - The New England Championships are on the docket for the UMass women's cross country team this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. This will be the first and only trip of the season to Boston, Mass. and Franklin Park for Julie LaFreniere's squad. The October 8 meet also marks the beginning of the championship season ranging from New England's through the NCAA Regional Meet on November 12.
Last Time Out
At last weekend's Paul Short Invitational (9/30) the Minutewomen placed 38th in a field of 45 highly competitive squads. Included in the race were the likes of #1 Georgetown University, #3 Providence College, and #5 Villanova.
Leading UMass for the third straight meet was Karen Roa, who placed higher than any Minutewoman has at Paul Short since 2007 (42nd overall). Behind the senior harrier were freshman Rachel Hilliard (208th), junior Courtney Baldwin (215th), freshman Katie Powers (223rd), and sophomore Sarah Barrett (264th).
Hearty Harriers
At the Paul Short Invitational (9/30), Karen Roa led the Minutewomen for a third consecutive meet, while veteran Courtney Baldwin also returned to competition. Roa placed 42nd overall while running a 6K personal record time of 21:20. Baldwin was not far behind Roa in 215th while crossing the line at 23:22 and placing third on the team. Also in the mix for UMass was sophomore Sarah Barrett in 264th and fifth on the team with a mark of 23:58.
For a second consecutive week Karen Roa led UMass and Danielle McNiff placed in the team's top five, by crossing the line at 19:07.16 at the Minuteman Invite (9/17). Roa placed fourth overall in 17:36.01, while McNiff, the Hingham, Mass. native posted a third place team finish while taking 26th overall. Ironically, McNiff has placed 26th overall two consecutive weeks in a row.
Karen Roa proved her strength at the season opener at Bryant University (9/10), taking first on the team and sixth overall with a time of 18:17.99. The Jamaica, N.Y. native led UMass in two meets last season, while placing in the team's top five in all five that she competed in. Also providing support as returnees for the Minutewomen were Danielle McNiff, Sarah Barrett, and Colleen Wetherbee, who placed third, fourth, and fifth for UMass while ranking 26th, 30th, and 39th overall.
Despite many young faces Minutewomen are returning several of last season's strongest harriers to this year's squads.
Courtney Baldwin, Karen Roa, and Mary Cole are three of the Minutewomen's top returnees. Baldwin leads the way coming into 2011 having led UMass in four meets last year, while placing in the team's top five in all seven that she competed in. Behind her are Roa and Cole, who tallied five and two, top five team finishes respectively in 2010.
Also returning are strong upperclassmen, Danielle McNiff and Colleen Wetherbee along with graduate student Lauren Stocker, and sophomores Sarah Barrett, Alexandra Purdue-Smithe, and Katrina Martyn.
Fresh Outlook
First years Rachel Hilliard and Katie Powers ranked in the team's top five at the Paul Short Invitational (9/30). Hilliard placed second on the team and 208th overall in 23:19, while the latter of the duo crossed the line at 23:25 and took home 223rd overall and fourth on the squad. Through three meets as a freshman, Hilliard has still yet to place below third on the team in any competition.
For a second consecutive week, freshman Rachel Hilliard placed in the top three team spots at the Minuteman Invitational (9/17). The Hookstown, Pa. native locked in second on the team and 25th overall with a time of 19:05.34.
A trio of coach LaFreniere's first years were right at the top of the UMass pack in week one competition at Bryant University (9/10). The freshman trifecta comprised of Rachel Hilliard, Megan Cummings, and Hannah White placed third, fourth, and fifth respectively for the Minutewomen and 29th, 36th, and 39th overall.
The Minutewomen offer twelve newcomers to the current XC squad, with nine being freshman. Lindsey Russo, Alexandra Purdue-Smithe, and Emily Travers are the non-first years that are new additions to the Minutewomen's squad.
The class of 2015 includes Jessica Andre, Catherine Ayers, Sarah Burke, Alexandra Burtnick, Megan Cummings, Rachel Hilliard, Laura Kochenash, Katie Powers, and Hannah White.
Schedules Set
UMass opened 2011 campaign at the Bryant University Invitational (9/10), where no team scores were kept. Karen Roa led her tea, finishing sixth in a field of 96 harriers while posting a time of 18:17.99.
Following a trip southeast, UMass returned to Amherst for the Minuteman Invite where the team scored 99 points and placed fourth in a field of five teams. The Minutewomen were once again paced by Roa, who finished with a season best time of 17:36.01.
After the meet at home, the Minutewomen traveled to the Paul Short Invitational (9/30) in Bethlehem, Pa. With 952 points, Julie LaFreniere's squad placed 38th in a field that contained the likes of #1 Georgetown University, #3 Providence College, and #5 Villanova.
Championship season commences with the New England Meet on October 8 with the sole trip of the season to Franklin Park for Julie LaFreniere's squad. The Atlantic 10 Championship follows about two weeks later on October 29 in Charlotte, N.C., the same site of the 2011 A-10 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The women have a competition between the New England and A-10 Championships, when the team travels to Warwick, R.I. for the Rothenberg Race on October 14.
The final meet of the season comes at the NCAA Regionals in the Amherst of a different state, Amherst, N.Y. on November 12.
Around The Atlantic 10
Charlotte's Amanda Goetschius was tabbed A-10 Performer of the Week for a second consecutive time for the weekend of October 1 and 2. The Charlotte 49er posted a time of 16:57 good enough for a third place overall finish at the Charlotte Invitational 5K in Charlotte, N.C.
Through the weekend of October 1 and 2, the most races that any A-10 team has competed is five (Charlotte). The lady Hawks from Saint Joseph's are undefeated through 2011 thus far with two top first place finishes coming at the Blue Gold Classic in the Garden State and at the Charlotte Invitational in North Carolina.
The Richmond Spiders enter the fall campaign as the reigning A-10 Champions on both the men's and women's sides. The women have raced three times thus far in 2011, posting two first place team finishes.
Sitting alone, Temple and George Washington are the only two conference squads yet to record a top five finish as a team.
Experience At The Helm


There is no lack of leadership for UMass this fall for UMass as Julie LaFreniere returns for her 25th season at the center of the women's cross country program.
LaFreniere has accumulated multiple coaching and team accolades. She was named the Atlantic 10 women's cross country Coach of the Year six times (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999) and led the Minutewomen to seven A-10 cross country championships.
In 1995, she added her first NCAA qualifier to her list of accomplishments when Rebecca Donaghue qualified for the NCAA Championship, finishing 50th in the national competition. Donaghue qualified again in 1996 under LaFreniere's tutelage. Recently, LaFreniere added another runner to her list of NCAA qualifiers, when Kristin Cisowski competed in the 2000 and 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championship. After graduating from UMass in 1977, LaFreniere held head coaching positions at the high school level for four years. She later returned to UMass to pursue a master's degree in Sport Management. Upon receiving her graduate degree in 1986, LaFreniere was named the Minutewomen's head cross country and track and field coach in 1987.
As a student-athlete, LaFreniere helped lead the UMass women's cross country team to the New England championship and a ninth-place finish at the first AIAW women's national championship. She left her mark on the Minutewoman squad when she set school records in the half-mile and mile, and received MVP awards for both cross country and track and field in 1976 and 1977.
LaFreniere was recently inducted into the Gardner (Mass.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and currently resides in Petersham, Mass.