2006 Marietta College cross country preview

Aug. 23, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio – The cross country program at Marietta College will be in its fifth season since being reinstated as a varsity sport, and, under the direction head coach Derek Stanley, the Pioneer runners are expected to continue to make huge strides this fall. The biggest difference from previous years will be in the number of student-athletes participating. Stanley expects 11 women and 19 men to fill the roster this season.

Leading the men’s squad, which features seven returning lettermen, will be juniors Harrison Potter and John Hull. Potter was Marietta’s top finisher at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships in 2005, placing 36th overall and running the fastest time at the meet by a Pioneer since the program was reinstated. Hull was the second Pioneer to cross the line at the meet and finished 59th with a new personal best time. Other returning runners who ran at the OAC Championships include seniors Kyle Hummel and Andrew Wichie as well as sophomores Jered Mitchem and Joseph Wynes.  Added to this year’s roster are a number of freshmen athletes who could have an impact on the top 7.  Potential contributors include Mike Siringer, Cody Thomas, Kevin Hazlett and Kent Reiber.

The women's team returns two letterwinners and should be paced by sophomore Jessi Larrison. Larrison, the OAC’s reigning 800m outdoor champion, was Marietta’s second finisher at the 2005 OAC Championships, taking 58th place. Senior Brea Gardner is Marietta’s other returning letterwinner. She was the Pioneers’ third runner to cross the finish at last year’s Championship, placing 61st.  The Pioneer women will look to first year runners Shannon McDonald, Logan Wern, Stephanie Williams and Whitney Swain to make the difference on a team which struggled with roster size last year. 

“All of our returning athletes are coming off solid spring track & field seasons and that success is expected to carry over into the 2006 cross country season,” Stanley said. “With the added depth on both rosters this program is expected to move up in the conference standings. The best thing about freshmen is you never know who is going to surprise you!”

Marietta’s runners open the season on Sept. 2 when they travel to Tiffin for the Tiffin/Heidelberg Invitational. The Pioneers will host one meet this fall—the Carl Broughton Invitational on Sept. 18.