Jessica Rizzo (left) and Ali Brown

The Wittenberg University men's and women's cross country teams head into the 2007 season with great optimism thanks to a blend of leadership and youth. In his second season as head coach, Craig Penney hopes to lead one of the largest squads in recent program history to a much improved season, starting with a meet on Sept. 1 at the University of Dayton.

On the women's side, the team returns seven letterwinners, including four of the top seven runners at season’s end in 2006. The remaining letterwinners are joined this year by an outstanding freshman class and several other runners who are new to the team but have great potential. Returning are seniors Alissa Goble (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood) and Megan Poling (Medina, Ohio/Highland), juniors Jennifer Bostelman (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) and Katie McIlvain (East Liverpool, Ohio/East Liverpool), and sophomores Ali Brown (Chillicothe, Ohio/Zane Trace) and Lauren Woodward (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth). McIlvain and Poling are the runners with the most on their collegiate resumes after consistently turning in respectable finishes in 2006, including a respectable 32nd for Poling in the 16-team Wilmington Fall Classic.

Joining the pack this year are eight new runners, six of them freshmen, who look to help the team improve in the nationally competitive North Coast Athletic Conference. The class of 2011 includes Christina Brinkhoff (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park), Michelle Graham (Springfield, Ohio/Greenon), Margaret Nevin (Darien, Conn./Darien), Yana Passater (Commerce, Mich./Walled Lake Northern), Rachel Wigton (Worthington, Ohio/Christian) and Lauren Woodward (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth). Senior Kara Clunk (Radnor, Ohio/Buckeye Valley), who earned a letter in cross country in 2005 and a letter in track and field in 2006, and junior Erin Hedrick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), who has struggled with injuries since a promising 2005 campaign, have returned to the program and figure prominently in the team’s plans.

Gabe Savage (left) and Mike Echols

The men’s team may have a big year in store as well as 12 letterwinners are back in the fold and an outstanding recruiting class bolsters both the quantity and quality on the roster. Junior Gabe Savage (Lewisburg, Ohio/Tri-County North), who earned the Tigers’ top finish in six meets in 2006, is the leader of the pack, along with senior Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North), the team’s top finisher in every 2004 and 2005 event, and junior Ben McCombs (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington). Savage established himself early in the 2006 season, earning a fourth-place finish in the second meet of the season, the Wittenberg Invitational. McCombs led the team with a 35th-place finish at the NCAC Championship meet.

Also returning for the Tiger men are sophomores Nick Del Grosso (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) and Jonathan Jackson (Solvang, Calif./Dunn), juniors Michael Lamar (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley), James Lewis (Solon, Ohio/Solon), Mike Maneage (Bedford, Ohio/Chanel), Mike Phillips (Dover, Ohio/Dover) and Kraig Reiber (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) and seniors Shawn Hils (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood), Darin Staugh (Frazeysburg, Ohio/River View) and Mike Wismer (Avon, Ohio/Avon).

The newcomers include junior Adam Beeler (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson), sophomore David Hearne (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) and freshmen Ray Allen (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby), Joe Angle (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern), Andrew Carter (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro), Josh Courlas (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), Kevin Frick (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview), Ben Hanf (Pickerington, Ohio/St. Charles), Matt Overturf (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Benjamin Logan) and Daniel Whonsetler (Prospect, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy).

Men's Cross Country Index Page

Women's Cross Country Index Page