Weekly Release #1

9/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country

Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 8 -- at Indiana Open (Bloomington, Ind.), 9 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 28 -- at Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.), 4:15 p.m.

This Week: The Indiana Open ...
The University of Michigan women's cross country team will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to participate in the Indiana Open Saturday (Sept. 8) at 9 a.m. The Wolverines will participate in the non-scoring meet at the IU Cross Country Championship Course (5,000 meters). The course will serve as a preview for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships, the regional championships will be held in Bloomington, Ind., on Nov. 10.

Including this meet and the conference championships, Michigan will compete in at least four meets in the state of Indiana this season. The team will travel to South Bend for the Notre Dame Invitational (Sept. 28), and to Terre Haute for the NCAA Pre-Nationals (Oct. 13). Michigan will try to get back to Indiana for a fifth time this season to compete in the NCAA Championships, held in Terre Haute (Nov. 19).

The Wolverines that will be running at the Indiana Open are: Freshman Danielle Tauro (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional), sophomore Kelly Sampson (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance), sophomore/freshman Jennie Biewald (Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest), senior/junior Lisa Canty (Highland, Mich./Milford), junior/sophomore Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), fifth-year senior Jackie Gaydos (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park), senior/junior Natasha Luppov (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron), senior/junior Lisa Montgomery (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson), sophomore/freshman Rachel Severin (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea), sophomore/freshman Alysha Valencia (Lawrence, Kan./Free State), senior/junior Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey), fifth-year senior Laura Glynn (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison), sophomore Jenny Morgan (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston), senior/junior Claire Otwell (Traverse City, Mich./Central), senior Elisabeth Uible (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill), fifth-year senior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) and junior/sophomore Katie Williams (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington).

Last Week: The Wolverine Open ...
Last week, Michigan ran in the Wolverine Open at Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter, Mich. Danielle Tauro (unattached) led the Wolverines in the non-scoring event, placing first in her collegiate debut event with an 18:22 mark. Sophomores Jenny Morgan (unattached) and Kelly Sampson finished second and third, respectively, with times of 18:24 and 18:28. Five other Wolverines ran their collegiate debut, competing unattached.

Returning Champions ...
The Wolverines return 12 letterwinners from last year's roster, including first team All-Big Ten runners Alyson Kohlmeier and Erin Webster, in addition to second team All-Big Ten runner Nicole Edwards.

Still Going Strong ...
Erin Webster led the Maize and Blue to the finish line in five meets last season, including the 2006 Big Ten Championships where U-M won the conference team title. Webster placed no lower than fourth in all five events, including first at the conference championships, which earned her first team All-Big Ten and Big Ten women's cross country Athlete of the Year honors.

The Mike McGuire File ...
Mike McGuire is in his 16th season as a head coach for the Michigan women's cross country team. In 2006, Michigan won the Big Ten championship under McGuire, as well as placing third in the 2006 NCAA Great Lakes Regional championship. For his accomplishments, he received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time, with five straight (2002-06) following a three-peat from 1992-94. In his first four seasons, McGuire won three consecutive Big Ten and NCAA District IV team championships, and the Wolverines finished as high as second (1994) at the NCAA Championships. McGuire's Michigan teams have 13 top-two finishes in 14 seasons at the Big Ten Championships and 10 top-two finishes at the regional championships, winning the regional meet in 1993, '94, '95, 2004, and '05. His teams have finished among the nation's top 10 eight times at the NCAA Championships. McGuire has helped 86 cross country and track athletes earn All-America honors and has coached six Big Ten individual champions and five Big Ten freshmen of the year.

What's Next ...
The Wolverines travel to Bloomington, Ind., to participate in the Indiana Open Saturday (Sept. 8) at 9 a.m.

Contact: Jeremiah W. Hergott (734) 647-4209