TOWSON, Md. – There will be plenty of accolades to grab when the Colonial Athletic Association cross country teams gather at Oregon Ridge Park in Hunt Valley on Saturday morning for the 2013 conference championship meet.
The meet, which is being hosted by Towson University, begins at 10:00 a.m. with the running of the men's eight-kilometer (five-mile) race. The women's six-kilometer race follows at 11:00 a.m. Admission and parking are free.
“We marked the course on Wednesday and it's in great shape,” said Tiger coach Roger Erricker who is looking for his squad to finish in the middle of the eight-team pack. “It's been rather dry so whatever rain we've had has just run off. The conditions are optimal. The course is going to be fast.”
William & Mary, ranked 18th nationally and led by its All-America tandem of senior Elaina Balouris and sophomore Emily Stites, is the defending women's team champion. Balouris will attempt to repeat as the individual winner. She won last year in a time of 20:43. Stites was third in 21:01.
Northeastern's Lucy Young from Brisbane, Australia, might be the top freshman in the race.
The Oregon Ridge Park 6K record for women is held by Ali Henderson of William & Mary in a time of 20:14 set in 2003. That is also the CAA women's all-time championship meet record.
Towson will lean on a trio of juniors in Elizabeth Tauber, Ashley Simmons and Kara Bucaro.
Tauber, who has been named CAA Runner of the Week a league-high three times this fall, holds the school's 6K record with a 21:24.10 she clocked at the Paul Short Invitational. She has beaten all of the CAA runners she has faced this year. That group, however, does not include a William & Mary runner or a Northeastern Husky.
“I think Elizabeth is a top five finisher,” says Erricker. “Running on her home course is going to be an advantage for her. It would be terrific to see her earn all-conference honors.”
Individuals who finish among the top 12 are designated as All-CAA. Only three Towson runners have gained the distinction in the past: Megan Lerch, Katie Ogden and Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue whose fifth place in 2011 ranks as the Tigers' top finish in this meet.
Tauber placed 22nd last year (22:28) and 26th in her freshman year (23:32).
Simmons has improved steadily. She has placed second for Towson in all five meets this fall with a personal record 22:38 for a 6K. She was 44th in last year's conference championship (23:33). Bucaro has been dealing with injuries this year, but is healthy enough to have a breakthrough race. She finished 29th last year in her personal record time of 22:59.
Among the Tigers' newcomers, freshmen Megan Knoblock and Michelle Vanagas have moved up in the pack. Knoblock owns the third-fastest 6K time for a Tiger in 2013 with a 23:20. Vanagas' 23:56 is the fourth-fastest.
“They both have a lot of potential,” Erricker says. “Megan could be a top five finisher among the league's freshmen runners on Saturday.”
William & Mary is also the team to catch on the men's side. The Tribe, seeking its 14th straight league title, is led by junior Rad Gunzenhauser who finished third in the 2012 championship meet.
The men's 8K Oregon Ridge Park course record was set in 1994 by Jeff Greene of Winthrop in 24:14. Pete Weilenmann of JMU owns the all-time meet record (23:38) set in 1987 in Williamsburg.
