CUA Picked as Favorite for Landmark Cross Country Title
Cards return almost entire team from last season

8/23/2007

MADISON, N.J. - The Catholic University of America women's cross country team has been picked as the favorite in the first season of competition in the Landmark Conference as selected in the Landmark Preseason Women's Cross Country Poll.

CUA earned 71 points in the poll which was conducted by polling the head coaches and sports information directors for the eight Landmark programs. The University of Scranton was eight points behind the favorite in second place. Susquehanna University holds the third spot with 51 points, followed by Juniata College and Moravian College in fourth and fifth respectively. Goucher College, Drew University and the United States Merchant Marine Academy rounded out the remaining positions in the poll.

The Cardinals narrowly missed earning a berth at the NCAA Championships in 2006, and brings back all but two runners from that team. Two of those returning runners were All-Region performers a season ago.

Scranton also returns an experienced roster for the 2007 season as the Royals return all six competitors who earned points for the team at the NCAA Regionals a season ago. Scranton placed 14^th in the Mid-East Region and fourth in its conference last season.

Susquehanna will rely on depth and experience in 2007 after graduating its top runner. Despite losing its top finisher from a team that placed fifth in its conference last season, the Crusaders return each of their other top-six performers from a season ago.

Juniata finished with 46 points in the poll to hold down the fourth spot. The Eagles were third at the conference championships a season ago, and 14^th in the Mid-East Region, but lost four of their top-seven runners. Juniata does bring back one All-Conference competitor.

Moravian was just six points back of Juniata in the preseason balloting to claim the fifth spot. The Greyhounds had one individual finish in the top-five at the conference championship meet last season, and return that performer along with five others from a team that was sixth in the conference.

With 27 points, Goucher slid into the sixth spot in the poll. The team that will be hosting the Landmark Cross Country Championships has its top runner back, but did lose four of its top seven competitors to graduation.

Drew placed seventh in the polling with 20 points. The Rangers placed seventh in their conference championship last season, and have all of the point-producing runners from that meet back this year.

Merchant Marine rounds out the poll as the Mariners picked up 18 points. The team brings back a performer who claimed the individual conference championship last year, and has a veteran squad featuring seven seniors.

The Landmark Conference was formed in 2005 and begins competition this Fall. The Landmark Conference Cross Country Championships will be held October 27 at Goucher.