University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Harriers Race Home For Minuteman Invite
September 14, 2011 | Women's Cross Country
Sept. 14, 2011
AMHERST, Mass. - With no travel on the docket for this weekend, the UMass cross country teams are prepped to be fresh and prepared for the Minuteman Invitational this Saturday. The men's race is slated to kick off at 11:30 a.m., while the women's 5K will follow at 12:00 p.m. This will be the only home meet of the 2011 campaign for the Minutemen and Minutewomen, as they will look to take advantage holding superior knowledge of the Amherst based course.
Last Time Out
At last weekend's season opener, the women were led by senior standout Karen Roa with a mark of 18:77.99, while the Minutemen were paced by sophomore Antony Taylor who crossed the 5K course line at 15:46.29. It was the first career first place finish within the UMass contingent for Taylor.
Between both the men and women, five newcomers to the UMass squads placed in the teams' top five. For Ken O'Brien, Andrew Erwin, John O'Shea, Michael Giardina, and Jared Reddy filled in the four spots following Taylor. Pacing the Minutewomen after Roa were Daniel McNiff, Rachel Hilliard, Megan Cummings, and Hannah White.
The meet was not scored by teams, as all harriers ran a 5K course instead of the typical division in distances between men and women.
Around The Atlantic 10
Through the weekend of September 10 and 11, the most races that any A-10 team has competed in between both men and women are two. On the men's side, Xavier and Saint Joseph's have at least one second place team finish each, through two meets, while Charlotte, Xavier, and Saint Joseph's have the same on the women's side.
The lady Hawks from Saint Joseph's are undefeated through 2011 thus far with two top team finishes coming at the Blue Gold Classic in the Garden State and at the Charlotte Invitational in North Carolina. For the men, Saint Louis, Saint Joseph's, and Duquesne all have posted a first place team finish.
The Richmond Spiders enter the fall campaign as the reigning A-10 Champions on both the men's and women's sides. Both have raced one thus far in 2011, as the men took home second place at the Spider Alumni Open, while the women took first.
Fresh Outlook
In all, five newcomers made their way into the top five of their respective sides at the season's opening meet in Smithfield, R.I. For the men, junior John O'Shea and Michael Giardina placed third and fourth on the team respectively while taking 26th and 28th overall. The freshman trio 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 men bring eight new competitors to the team this fall, with six of them being freshman. Apart from the first year harriers, Ken O'Brien has added John O'Shea as a current junior, and Benjamin Mears as a graduate student. Mears ran for the Amherst College Lord Jeffs and was a member of the 2007 12th place team at the Div. III Cross Country Nationals.
The freshman sextet consists of Zachary Florence, John Mantia, Michael Giardina, Patrick O'Donnell, Curtis Owen, and John Ryan.
The women 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, Hannah White.
Schedules Set
The men and women will mirror each other in six-of-seven meets through the 2011 season. Both squads opened the 2011 campaign at the Bryant University Invitational, where no team scores were kept. Antony Taylor led the men and placed 14th overall, while Karen Roa led the women, finishing sixth in a field of 96 harriers.
Following a trip southeast, UMass returns to Amherst for the second meet of the season on September 17 for the annual Home Meet. Next up, Lehigh University hosts the annual Paul Short Invitational on September 30 in Bethlehem, Pa.
Championship season commences with the New England Meet on October 8 with the sole trip of the season to Franklin Park for both Ken O'Brien's and 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 championship meet of the season comes at the NCAA Regionals in the Amherst of a different state, Amherst, N.Y. on November 12. The women finish up the 2011 season at the NCAA Meet, while the men continue onto the IC4A Championships at Van Cortlandt Park on November 19.
Hearty Harriers
Karen Roa proved her strength at the season opener at Bryant University, 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.
Despite many young faces on both sides, the Minutemen and Minutewomen are returning several of last season's strongest harriers to this year's squads.
On the men's side, the stellar sophomore class comprised of Patrick McGowan, Jared Reddy, Paul Merriman, Dan Joyce, and Antony Taylor return to lead UMass. McGowan returns holding the highest top five team finish of any freshman last year as he placed second on the squad at the IC4A Championships with a time of 26:13.4.
In the form of leadership and strong performances, seniors Andrew Erwin and Patrick McAllister know the level of competition they will face. McAllister led UMass in two meets in 2010 including at the IC4A and New England Championships. Erwin finished the season with two top five team finishes, coming at the IC4A and New England meets as well.
On the women's side, 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.
Experience At The Helm
There is no lack of leadership for UMass this fall on either the men's or women's sides. Ken O'Brien and Julie LaFreniere return for their 45th and 25th seasons respectively.
In O'Brien's 42 seasons coaching cross country and track and field at UMass, the Minutemen have won 19 conference titles (Yankee, Atlantic 10 and Eastern), four New England crowns, two IC4A titles and have had seven All-America performers.
During the 2008 cross country season, O'Brien was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, as the Minutemen finished first in the league. This was the second-ever Minutemen A-10 Cross Country title, the first coming in 1995.
For the women, LaFreniere has accumulated several 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.
O'Brien and LaFreniere will lead their respective teams in the A-10 Conference this fall.