University of Massachusets Athletics
Cross Country Seasons Commence At Bryant Invite
September 07, 2011 | Women's Cross Country
Sept. 7, 2011
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The UMass men's and women's cross country teams will open the 2011 campaign this Saturday at the Bryant University Invitational in Smithfield, R.I. This will be the first-of-seven meets for both Ken O'Brien and Julie LaFreniere's squads, as the schedule ranges from September through November this fall.
Fresh Outlook
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 open the campaign in Smithfield, R.I. at the Bryant University Invitational on September 10. It's been at least 12 years since the Minutemen have ran a cross country meet in the Ocean State, while the women traveled to Rhode Island just last year.
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
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.