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LANCASTER, PA – For Franklin & Marshall College, the 2005 Centennial Conference Championship set for October 29 at Oregon Ridge Park in Hunt Valley, Md. Is all about taking the next step in the program’s development. Last year, the Diplomats finished with 140 points to place sixth, a dramatic improvement as the team had finished ninth at the previous three championship races and 10th at the 2000 race after placing third in 1999.
For the third year, harriers Meredith Janeczek (Jr., Hershey,
PA/Hershey) and Karen Ziga (Jr., Haverford, PA/Haverford)
will lead the team into the championship fray.
Ranked seventh in the Centennial Conference Coaches’ Rankings behind Dickinson's Emily Hulme (1#), Abbey Ferguson (#2), Caitlin Bradley (#3) and Annie Scogin (#5), Muhlenberg’s Karen Mount (#4) and Haverford’s Jane Weber (#6), Janeczek is a contender to take the individual title this year as she placed fourth at the 2004 Championship at McDaniel College to earn All-CC first team honors. Historically, if Janeczek can win the race she will become only the second Diplomat to capture the CC women’s cross country title following Jamie Kendig ‘96 in 1994 (1857) at Gettysburg. She enters the championship race with experience on the Oregon Ridge course as she crossed the finish line in 23:12 to place fifth and lead the Franklin & Marshall College women’s cross country team to a fourth place finish at the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jay Invitational at Oregon Ridge Park on October 7. Overall, Janeczek was the third Centennial Conference runner across the finish line and was one of three F&M runners in the top 20 as Katie Byrne (Fr., Gettysburg, PA/Gettysburg) and Ziga finished 12th (23:32) and 18th (23:54), respectively, as the Diplomats were one of four teams to place three or more runners in the top 20. Ranked 13th and 17th in the Centennial Conference Coaches’ Rankings, respectively, Byrne and Ziga will be key to the Diplomats cracking the top four of this year’s championship race as the duo will have to out duel Bradley and Ferguson for F&M to win the CC title. Colette Buchanan (So., Hershey, PA/Hershey), Megan Feehan (Sr., West Chester, PA/Henderson) and Virginia Earl (So., Strasburg, PA/Norwood-Norfolk Central School) should also factor in the Diplomats’ top five runners as the team will look to break into at least the top four this year. Historically, F&M has finished fourth or higher in the CC Championship just once (1999), while the team placed fifth in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1998 and sixth in 1994, 1997 and 2004. However, for the Diplomats to shock the Conference and earn the CC title they will need to defeat Dickinson, Haverford and Swarthmore. The Red Devils will look to capture their sixth straight title (2000-2004) with three-time champion Haverford (1993, 1995-1996) close on their heels. The unanimous #1 choice in the NCAA Division III Mid-East Region coaches’ poll, the Red Devils are ranked #7 nationally and are led by Hulme, who won the 2004 individual championships. The strength of Dickinson is the team’s depth as Ferguson and Bradley should battle for the individual title as well. Two other runners to watch are Darcy McDonald and Annie Scogin who round out a potent quintet. Haverford’s Weber and Clara Sheets are possible Top 10 finishers as the pair are ranked #6 and #8 in the CC Coaches’ Rankings, while Swarthmore has four runners in the coaches’ Top 20 headed by freshman Emma Stanley. The women’s varsity meet will be contested over a six-kilometer course at 11:00 a.m. with the junior varsity 6K-race set for 12:45 p.m.
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