2011 Cross Country Outlook

2011 Cross Country Preview

The Saint Mary’s cross country team will continue their upward trek within the MIAA and beyond in 2011. Since 2005, only three teams in the MIAA have finished in the top five of the conference each season. One of those teams is Saint Mary’s. Last fall, the program achieved their highest-ever conference finish by taking third place in the league with third place finishes at both the MIAA Jamboree and the MIAA Championship.

In addition to having the best finish by a team in conference history for the program, the Belles cross country team had several breakout individual performances in 2010. Of the 17 members of the team, 12 set at least one personal record time last fall. Additionally, 28 of the team’s 41 PRs were turned in by underclassmen.

For another successful season in 2011, the Belles will look upon Julia Kenney ’13 and Joanne Almond ’12. The two were the top two finishers for the Belles in every race last season. Kenney became just the fifth Saint Mary’s harrier to earn All-MIAA honors by being one of the top finishers at both league races in 2010. The junior also became the second member of the program to earn both All-MIAA and All-Region honors in the same season, joining only Megan Gray ’08. 

Head coach Jackie Bauters ’04, who enters her seventh season at the helm of the program, will be looking to Emma Baker ’13, Sarah Copi ‘13, and Elizabeth Majewski ‘13 as well as key newcomers to help continue the Belles’ move toward conference and regional excellence.