1999 Michigan Women's Cross Country Outlook

1999 Michigan Women's Cross Country Outlook
Wolverines Look to Balanced Lineup for Continued Success

In 1998, the Michigan women's cross country team produced runner-up finishes at the Big Ten Conference and NCAA Regional championships. The second-place finish at the Big Ten Championship tallied Michigan's 11th consecutive top-three showing in the Big Ten and the Wolverines earned their 15th consecutive top-five finish in the Regional Championship. Head coach Mike McGuire is optimistic in the team's ability to be a contender, even with the loss of 1999 NCAA national champion Katie McGregor to graduation.

Among those returning to the Michigan roster are All-America senior Elizabeth Kampfe, who battled health problems last season but is expected to be one of the Wolverines' most aggressive runners this season.

The roster showcases several other experienced runners such as 1996 All-Big Ten Second Team member Marcy Akard, 1998 All-Big Ten First Team member Lisa Ouellet, All-Big Ten Second Team member Allison Noe, Angela Stanifer and 1998 NCAA national champion distance medley relay member Sarah Hamilton, who will bring their leadership to the young team, featuring 15 newcomers this season.

McGuire is looking to balance the loss of McGregor in this group of young and experienced runners ...

Talk a little bit about what you expect to see in the team this year.

MM: "For us to stay at the level or exceed the level we were at last year, it's probably going to be a situation where we will rule by committee. We will have to replace our two major losses of Katie McGregor and Michelle Slater. I think we're capable of being a much more balanced team this year. One thing I haven't liked in the last year was the big gap between the first and fifth runner. Some of that goes back to Katie being so good and also goes to that we haven't been as strong through three, four and five. So I think we can shore that up and I think that will be a situation of three or four people collectively being a lot better to offset the loss of particularly the stellar front-runner that we had in McGregor."

Who do you see as the top five runners

MM: "Katie Clifford is coming off a really good track season. I see her being a lot better. Elizabeth Kampfe had an off season last year by her standards, but she had persistent shin problems all year. If she returns to health, she can run at a very high level, particularly in cross country, in the fact that she is a former regional champion and she has been runner-up in the Big Ten. I would say that they would spearhead the attack. We've had Lisa Ouellet who has run really well in cross country for us. I would say if we can get Katy Radkewich healthy and Marcy Akard running back at the level she's run at, then that's going to help us tremendously. Our junior class is staring to run better and that would include Erin White and Katie Ryan. Of our veterans, we've had a lot of them run at high levels. Now we just have to get some consistency.

Fifteen freshmen are on the roster this year. Let's talk a bit about this incoming class.

MM: "I like the group we have coming in. Even though they don't have large credentials, other than Lyndsi Gay, what I have found in the recruiting process is that we have kids who are willing to work. That's a huge part of the battle at the collegiate level, just to find a kid who is task oriented and following through on the task that is presented. I think Jane Matineau is going to be a good athlete and Colleen Lange a good runner. Rachel Sturtz is someone I think will develop a little quicker in track than cross country. I like the group that we have and I would like them to come in with a good work ethic."

Freshman Lyndsi Gay seems to be an extraordinary athlete.

MM: "She was a top 100 tennis player coming into her senior year of high school. She was pretty well set to play collegiate tennis and had offers from Big Ten schools. She was running as part of her training for tennis and got into a road race right before the school year. It turned out that her high school cross country coach was in the race. After seeing how well she ran, he convinced her to run cross country. So she actually ran cross country and played tennis during the season. From there her high school coach called me early in the recruiting process. There will still be a transition for her to make, but we anticipate she will make an impact right away."

Who do you see as your competition in the Big Ten and at the national level

MM: "In the Big Ten, Wisconsin is the defending champions and they have a lot of people back. Minnesota should be improved. I would say Minnesota and Penn State would be the next logical teams. Nationally, Brigham Young, Stanford and Arkansas seem to be clear cut right now. A lot of things can change between now and the end of November. They've got a wider talent level that's a cut above the rest of the country."

Michigan will again host the Wolverine Interregional, which is usually a race with some tough competition.

MM: "Once again it will be a really good meet. Last year I think we had, of the 15 teams that ran, eight qualifiers for the national level. It will again be a really strong meet. We run it on a Sunday so the high school kids have an opportunity to come out and watch a collegiate meet. We are getting representation from all of the regions, including James Madison, Nebraska and Washington. We think UCLA is coming in, possibly Tennessee and Texas. I think it is safe to say we will have a sampling of all the different regions around the country. We anticipate another stellar field and we hope to represent ourselves well."