Improvement on the agenda for Pioneer harriers as they compete at Friday's All-Ohio Championships
Marietta College looking for respect around the state

Oct. 5, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College men and women’s cross country teams are slated to continue their season when they compete at the 2006 All-Ohio Championships Friday (Oct. 6). The men’s championship race is to commence at 2:00 p.m. on Dornoch Golf Course in Delaware, OH. The women’s championship will follow at 2:45 p.m., with the men’s open race at 3:30 p.m. and women’s open at 4:15 p.m. 

Head Coach Derek Stanley and his squad have one goal this weekend—to earn respect. 

”We have better teams this year, and I feel this is a perfect opportunity to show some of the other teams we compete against that we mean business,” Stanley said.

The All-Ohio Championship is the biggest collegiate meet held in the state and is billed as an “all-comers” meet with all colleges and universities sponsoring cross country expected to participate. The atmosphere gives the meet representation from all divisions of college athletics (NCAA D-I, D-II, D-III, NAIA and NJCAA). There is also an “open” race for both women and men where people from the public can participate. 

The Pioneer men are looking to improve on last year’s 30th place (14th in D-III) performance, the best finish for the team since both programs were officially reinstated at the college in 2002. Stanley noted that the key to success in the race will be the performance of Marietta’s top two runners—juniors John Hull (Scott Depot, W.Va./Winfield) and Harrison Potter (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili). Both somewhat struggled last year and are trying to fill the shoes of graduate Clark Spears, who ran to a 94th place finish last season. The Pioneers will also look to seniors Andrew Wichie (Brunswick) and Ben Williams (Marietta/Warren Local), as well as freshmen hopefuls Mike Siringer (Willowick/Willoughby South), Kent Reiber (Avon Lake) and Kevin Hazlett (Akron/St. Vincent-St. Mary), to finish as close the front of the team as possible.

Marietta’s women will make improvement by merely finishing the race. The team was unable to accumulate a team score in 2005, as only four runners ran in the competition. Five runners are needed to score a team. The Lady Pioneers will have nine women competing and are looking to make some noise, especially in the Conference. Brea Gardner (Somerset/Sheridan) was the top Pioneer to finish in 2005 and looks to smash that performance in this her senior year. Gardner will be assisted by teammates sophomore Jessi Larrison (Batavia) and freshman Shannon McDonald (Lorain/Amherst Steele), who have consistently been 1-2 for the team. Freshman Kaity Smith (Essex Junction, Vt.), as well as her classmates Logan Wern (North Canton/Hoover), Whitney Swain (Belpre/Warren Local) and Josalyn Bailey (St. Marys, W.Va.), will be a key to the team’s improvement as they look to continue their development as collegiate runners. 

“As long as we get where we need to be at the end of the second mile, we’ll be just fine,” Stanley said. “It’s a matter of getting out and competing and I’ve been talking to my team about it all year, I think we’re ready.”