Sept. 12, 2005

Contact: Brian Wolff

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Race 2
Central Collegiate Invitational
Date: Saturday, Sept. 17, 2005
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Site: Ottawa Park Golf Course, Toledo, Ohio

SETTING THE SCENE: The Viking cross country team continues their season on Saturday (Sept. 17) at the Central Collegiate Invitational in Toledo, beginning at 4:00 p.m. CSU is coming off an extremely successful start to the season that saw two Viking runners finish in under 20 minutes.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: Five of the six Vikings ran in their first collegiate race last Saturday (Sept. 10) at the Mel Brodt Invitational at Bowling Green. Sherri Douglas led the way finishing in 18th place in 19:58. She was immediately followed by Julie Piotrowski, who finished 19th in 19:59. It was the first time two CSU runners finished in under 20 minutes since the 1997 Duquesne Invite (10/17) when Stephanie Hall (19:37) and Brandi Sabino (19:47) both did it and the first time on the Bowling Green campus since three CSU runners accomplished it in 1996. Piotrowski became the first Viking freshman to run under 20 minutes in her first race since Hall ran a 19:52 at the Buffalo Invite in 1995. Lesley Jones and Madeline Singer finished 68th and 69th, respectively in 22:51 and 23:05. Shilah Pratt finished 82nd in 26:07.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINIGS: The Vikings have six new members on their 2005 squad, and only two of them ran competetive cross country last season. Team captain Sherri Douglas spent two years on the CSU softball team, while sophomore Madeline Singer was a member of the inaugural women's soccer team in 2004. Sophomore Lesley Jones and senior Shilah Pratt will both join their winter teams, swimming and fencing, respectively, once the season is over. Junior Amanda Whitmer played two seasons of softball at Cuyahoga Community College before transferring to CSU.

NEW ERA OF RUNNING: The 2005 Vikings are a much different team with ladies and a head coach that are excited to run. Just one year ago, the Vikings did not have enough runners to qualify for a team score. In only one race so far this season CSU finished seventh of nine, just one spot behind fellow Horizon League member Youngstown State, who finished fourth in the conference last season. The Vikings could have placed even higher, but they were one runner short with Audrey Piotrowski sitting the race out due to an illness (high fever)..

UP NEXT: The team will head to Canton, Ohio for the 37th annual Malone Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 5:00 p.m.