Renewed health gives women's team hope

The success of the women's cross-country team rests on quite a few shoulders — many of which belong to sophomores. With one season of experience under their belts, the 11 members of the Class of 2004 are ready to be the backbone of the Tiger team.

Last year, however, was a different story. Plagued by injuries, Princeton finished the season seventh out of nine teams at Heps.

"Out of 10 freshmen, six had stress fractures [or other injuries]. Speaking for myself, the problem was adjusting to college life and other pressures. I think now we know the sacrifices we need to make to run well and take better care of our bodies," said sophomore standout Emily Kroshus, who, despite several strong finishes, fell short of her expectations.

Older and wiser, Princeton is more interested in methodical training than in flashy moments of success. Having learned from the past, the Tigers are emphasizing staying healthy above all else.

"I have no expectations other than to do my very, very best, progress really steadily and do lots of mileage," Kroshus said. "But if anything hurts, I cross-train."

"We need to stay healthy and let their confidence grow with their conditioning," head coach Peter Farrell said. "Quite a few athletes came back at a new level physically and need to emerge at a new level mentally and emotionally as competitors."

Senior Catherine Casey, who finished second for Princeton at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals and the H-Y-P meet, should head up the list of strong competitors.

"Catherine Casey put a tremendous summer of training in and she looks fantastic," Farrell said. "She is a great leader, and I'm excited to see her compete. I think she made a step up mentally. She had a good year last year, but she looks much better than last year."

Kroshus, who returns for her second season after being the top recruit for 2000, finished first among the Tigers at Heps and the H-Y-P meet and should be another consistent leader for Princeton.

"We have a nice combination of a sophomore and a senior leading the group in Emily Kroshus and Catherine Casey," coach Farrell said.

Other top sophomores include Becca Snyder, Pilar Marin and Kristina Roberto.

Seniors Emily Eynon and Holly Huffman are also expected to impact the team. Both Eynon and Huffman finished in the top four for the Tigers at the H-Y-P meet. Juniors Laura Shackelton, Sarah Rivlin and Becca Hylander round out the list of upperclassmen expected to contribute.

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The one thing Princeton is making sure not to do is put too much pressure on the freshmen. Instead the team is looking for runners with experience to contribute to the final score.

"I try not to use the freshmen during their first semester on campus," Farrell said. "I have them as reserves.

Now, with a healthy upperclass core in place, the Tigers have their sights set on where they want to be at the end of the season — and it is a big step up from last year's results.

"We want to focus on each competition with an eye on the league championship and a possible shot at qualifying for NCAAs," coach Farrell said.

Yale appears to pose the greatest threat to the Tigers' hopes. The Elis have the one-two punch of juniors Laura and Katie O'Neill, who were both All-Americans last year, to rely on. In addition, Yale returned five of its top seven placers from last year's team, which finished seventh in the nation.

Despite the stiff competition, the Tigers remain optimistic.

"We're going to try and build each meet," Casey said. "We're going to look to the Ivy League meet. I think the league has really opened up from last year. We have a good shot. Lots of runners graduated last year and I think it is open for the taking."

Princeton's first meet was scheduled to take place on Sept. 15 against La Salle and Rutgers but was postponed. The Tigers will begin their season Sept. 22 at the Central Connecticut Invitational.