2009 Women's Cross Country Season Outlook
The 2009 Oberlin College women’s cross country season is primed to be one for the record books. After finishing third in the conference in 2008, the Yeowomen look to return to the form that brought an NCAC Championship to Oberlin in 2006.
The Yeowomen welcome back two-time defending conference champion Joanna Johnson, who bested the field on her home course last fall for her second title with a time of 21:02. The Chico, California, native compiled arguably the greatest season in Oberlin cross country history as she went undefeated until the final race of the year at the NCAA Championships. Among the honors that Johnson claimed were NCAC Runner of the Year, Great Lakes Region Runner of the Year and NCAA All-American honors. As a junior in 2009, Johnson hopes to repeat those honors and improve on her 32nd-place finish at the national meet.
Johnson is not the only harrier back from the 2008 squad. In fact head coach Ray Appenheimer returns nine of the 10 runners who competed in the 2008 NCAC Championships. The Yeowomen bring back conference scorers in senior team captain Clara Shaw and fellow senior Cordelia Revells, the team’s most improved runner from a year ago. Junior Julia Beebe had an impressive outdoor track season and looks to carry over the momentum of a fourth-place finish at the 2009 NCAC outdoor meet in the 10,000 meters. Sophomores Nina Cole and Christine Moore will also be heavily relied on for overall team success.
This talented group of young runners will be joined with five first-year standouts. A elite prep runner in the state of Indiana in 2008, Sara Tarashima, will compete for the crimson and gold in 2009, as will fellow first-years Amanda Garcia, Christina Witcher, Caroline Martin, and Piper Nash.
The Yeowomen will open their 2009 season up at the Wooster Inviational on September 1. Circled on the 2009 schedule are the Inter-Regional Rumble on October 17 at Oberlin and the NCAC Championships on October 31 at Ohio Wesleyan University. The NCAA Championships will also take place on November 21 at nearby Baldwin-Wallace College.
