The Shawnee State Women’s Cross Country team is returning only two of its top seven runners from last year’s team.  With the addition of a promising recruiting class the team may be young but head coach Eric Putnam is still looking to be competitive.  “My goal for this team is to finish between 3^rd and 5^th place at the AMC Championships this year,” said Putnam.   

Leading the Bears this year are seniors Lisa Davies and Trisha Krueger.  Both were top five runners all last season, but will have to step up to fill the shoes of Star Emmert who is red shirting this season.  Juniors that are returning for the Bears are Ashley McCray (Waverly, OH) and Heather Waugh (New Boston, OH).  Also returning are sophomores Chelsea Fouch (Lancaster, OH), Lisa Franzen (Waverly, OH), and Michelle Hilborn (Painesville, OH). 

New to the team are freshmen Rachel Ditty (Galion, OH), Ashley Hayward (Minford, OH), Andrea Jackson (Akron, OH), Laura Liston (Circleville, OH), and Jennesa Weaver (Circleville, OH).  Liston is a two-time state qualifier in cross country.  Ditty was a state qualifier in cross country last fall.   

“Although the team is not as competitive as it was at this point in the season last year, we could have a stronger finish at the end,” said Putnam.  “The freshmen class is a hard working group that seems very hungry.  The overall attitude of the women’s team is the most positive that it has been in the last three years I have been at Shawnee State.” 

The Bears face a challenging schedule which begins with the Shawnee State Invitational and includes the Loyola Invitational, Southeastern Classic, All-Ohio Invitational, AMC/NAIA Regional IX Championship, and the NAIA National Championships at Kenosha, WI.

2006 Outlook