Cross Country Prepares for D-III Regional Championships

TOWSON, Md. — Each of Goucher’s cross country teams will continue the postseason portion of their schedule tomorrow in the NCAA Division III Mideast Region Championships. The meet, hosted by Muhlenberg College, will be held at Lehigh University, and spots for next weekend’s National Championships will be on the line.

The women’s race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., while the men’s race is slated for a 12:30 p.m. starting time. The top two teams in each race, as well as the following seven fastest individual times, are guaranteed a spot at nationals.

Goucher’s women’s team is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Landmark championships on November 2. Katherine Currier (Brooklyn, N.Y./LaGuardia) earned first-team all-conference recognition for a third-consecutive season after placing third in the meet, while Katelynn Zidanic (York, Pa./Central York) achieved second-team all-conference accolades for a third year in a row after finishing in 10th. The tandem will be expected to lead Goucher on Saturday.

“I think the women’s team is capable of finishing between 20th and 25th at regionals,” head coach John Caslin said. “That’s been a traditional finishing spot in the past for us, and when you consider that there are over 60 teams running that’s pretty impressive.”

Caslin also expanded on Currier and Zidanic’s accomplishments this season.

“Kat Currier certainly has the mindset that she has a shot to qualify for nationals,” he said. “She is the first woman in Goucher history to achieve first-team all-conference in her first three seasons, and she’s been able to improve her finish in the conference each season.

“Katelynn Zidanic’s career has been amazing,” Caslin continued. “She was 57th in the region last year, and her goal is to break into the top 35 this year. We’re looking for some big things out of both of them tomorrow.”

The Goucher men raced to a sixth-place finish in the conference two weeks ago. The Gophers were led by Isaac Jennings (Narberth, Pa./Harriton) and Hugh Geller (Devens, Mass./Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School), who placed 22nd and 23rd, respectively, completing the course within five seconds of each other.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how the men perform,” Caslin said. “They weren’t able to compete as a team last year at regionals, we only brought individuals, so this will be their first chance in a while to see how they stack up in the region. If we can place someone in the top 100, that would be a huge step in the right direction for our program.”

In addition to the automatic bids handed out tomorrow, the NCAA will select an additional 16 teams across the country’s eight regions to receive at-large bids to nationals. That process will take place on Sunday, and it could open up extra opportunities for individual runners from the region to qualify.

The last Goucher women to qualify for nationals was Fraley Coles in 2007, while Joey Negreann qualified on the men’s side back in 2011. This year’s national championship meet will take place in Hanover, Ind., on Saturday, Nov. 23.