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Women's Cross Country - Fri, Sep 18, 2009
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JACKSON, Tenn. - The TranSouth Conference coaches have voted Union (Tenn.) University as the favorite to win the women's cross country conference. Blue Mountain (Miss.) College was voted to finish second.

 
Behind Union and Blue Mountain in the women's poll, the coaches have selected Bethel third, Lyon (Ark.) College fourth and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University.
 
In the NAIA preseason cross country rankings, Union's women are the only TranSouth mentioned as the Lady Bulldogs are in the receiving votes section (http://www.naia.org/).
 
Returning to the list of schools offering cross country as a varsity sport for the 2009 season is Freed-Hardeman. This will be their first competition in five years since discontinuing their program in 2004.
 

2009 TranSouth Women's Cross Country Coach's Poll

1. Union University

2. Blue Mountain College

3. Bethel University

4. Lyon College

5. Freed-Hardeman University
 

Season outlooks for each of the women's cross country teams

 
BETHEL WOMEN

Bethel has five female runners, led by senior Anna Martin. Along with Martin, Bethel returns Emily Laforce (sophomore), Mallory Blankenship (junior) and Mitzi Murphree (sophomore). The only newcomer is Paige Martin of Camden, Tenn.

 
"We hope amount of experience our team has will go a long way this year", says head coach Brandon Kilburn.
 

 
BLUE MOUNTAIN WOMEN
Coach Fred Smith and his Blue Mountain College Toppers enter their second full cross country season in the TranSouth Athletic Conference with youthful optimism building on inaugural year success.
 

The Toppers qualified six total runners for the 2008 NAIA national championship but only one women's runner returned for 2009 campaign: sophomore, Tuesdae Rowland

 
"We're still a young team, especially the women's team," Smith says. "We're still very much a developing program, but there's a really strong team chemistry that I think will serve us well this year."
 
While a return to the NAIA national meet is always a goal, Smith says the Toppers are focused on the TranSouth championship on Oct. 31.
 
"Now that we've got at least one year of experience, I think we'll be a much better team," Smith says. "It's going to be a good season, and we're really excited about having a true conference championship this year."
 
Rowland and Christian Russell, also a sophomore, are the only "seasoned" runners on the Lady Toppers squad. They will be joined by freshmen Stephanie Dillard, Magan Wilburn and Beth Goolsby.

 

 
FREED-HARDEMAN WOMEN
Freed-Hardeman University will compete in cross country for the first time in five years after bringing back the program that was discontinued in 2004. Assistant women's basketball coach Lain Hinson was chosen to lead both the men's and women's teams.

"We're excited about the addition of cross country," he said. "We want to build a program that will be successful. Our goal is to be able to compete immediately in the TranSouth Conference."

Four runners will comprise the first-year roster: senior Lily Thompson, a former member of the Lady Lion soccer team; sophomores Hannah Leach and Brianna Steffy; and freshman Alexis Cantrell.
 
 
LYON WOMEN
Emily Sexton, an All-TranSouth selection and TranSouth Freshman of the Year in 2006, qualified for the NAIA National meet in 2008 and is expected to pace the Pipers again this season. Lauren Fouse, Monica Fuller, Ellen Heimbach and Anelisa Wood all return to the Pipers, while newcomer Mychelle Gregg can be counted on to give the Pipers a quality qualifying runner.


 
UNION WOMEN
The Union University women's cross country team enters the 2009 season as the defending TranSouth Champions. Union has captured six straight conference titles, including three straight team appearances in the NAIA National Meet.
 
Union head coach Gary Johnson returns six runners from the 2008 season. Two players were lost to graduation, including Lydia Bond and Charley Moss who were both four-time All-Conference runners. Bond was the 2008 TranSouth Runner of the Year for Johnson and the Lady Bulldogs.
 

Of the six returning players, four have been honored for their success the course.

Erika Schatterly, the team's lone senior, is a three-time All-Conference runner. Junior runner Kayla Hauss, has been an All-Conference runner in each of her first two seasons. Newcomer Carrie Moore, also a junior, joins the cross country squad after spending two seasons with the Union women's soccer program.
 
Four sophomores dominate the roster, led by Hanna Clardy and Danielle Partain who each were All-Conference runners as freshmen. Hanna Staggs and Carissa Wilson return after completing a successful first season of college competition.
 
Lilli Harmon and Cally Howell join Union this season as freshmen and will look to contribute to a possible seventh straight TranSouth Championship.
 

#TRANSOUTH#