Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Cross Country Focused on MAC Championships
10/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
MOUNT PLEASANT The focus of Central Michigan University’s women’s cross country team all season long has been pointed toward this Saturday’s Mid-American Conference Championships meet.
CMU takes on the other 11 schools from the league this weekend as Eastern Michigan hosts the event at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti. The men’s 8K begins at 11 a.m. with the women’s 5K set for noon.
“We are ready to compete,” coach Karen Lutzke said. “We’ve been pointing to this meet all season long. It is a matter of getting out there and seeing what we can do. Anything can happen in any given meet with different people or teams stepping up. That’s why the meets are run and we are not just turning in results sheets.”
The Chippewa lineup of nine runners consists of sophomore Danielle Dakroub, sophomore Melissa Darling, senior Michelle Diverio, sophomore Brittany Dixon, sophomore Kylee Kubacki, sophomore Raeanne Lohner, senior Amanda Rudert, junior Sarah Squires and junior Emily Van Wasshenova.
No member of the Chippewas has experience on the course, which consists of a pair of 2.5K loops.
“It is not a difficult course,” Lutzke said. “There are not a lot of hills to separate runners on the women’s course. There are going to be big groups and we just need to make sure our group is out in front.
“The race really happens in positions 15 to 40 and we need to have as many up there as we can. We are peaking right now and ready to go. The athletes want to prove to themselves after we did not perform well at Pre-Nationals.”
Lutzke points to Akron and Miami as the favorites. The schools were second and third, respectively, at last season’s meet while the Chippewas finished sixth.
CMU has been led all season long by Rudert, one of two seniors in the Chippewa lineup. She was 29th last year and is looking to pick up All-MAC honors this season. The top seven places are named All-MAC while positions eight through 14 are second team honorees.
“Our goal is the same as it has been all season,” Lutzke said. “We need to move up pack up overall and get Amanda further up in the lead pack.”
More information on the MAC meet can be found at the official championships site.
