Weekly Release #1
9/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
This Week: Eastern Michigan Open
The University of Michigan women's cross country team will begin the 2002 season when they compete at the Detroit Mercy Invitational this Saturday (Sept. 7, 11:15 a.m.) at Cass-Benton Park in Northville, Mich. This will be the first time the Wolverine harriers will run in the 16th annual invitational race.
Michigan's Returning Corps ...
The Wolverines return nine letterwinners from last year's roster, including All-Big Ten first team member Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS) and all-conference second teamer Jeanne Spink (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS). Other letterwinners returning for the Maize and Blue are: Katie Easton (Fort Gratiot, Mich./Port Huron Northern HS), Theresa Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele HS), Chelsea Homan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson HS), Edna Kollarits (Whitehouse, Ohio/Maumee Valley HS), Chelsea Loomis (Traverse City, Mich./West HS), Jane Martineau (Mount Pleasant, Mich./Mount Pleasant HS), Jeanne Spink (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS) and Rachel Sturtz (Traverse City, Mich./Central HS).
The Newbies ...
The Wolverines welcome 11 newcomers to their roster for the 2002 season, and nine are incoming freshman. Leading the freshman class is two-time Iowa cross country state champion Jennifer Frudden (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS). The other eight freshmen are: Amy Baker (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS), Laura Brosius (Saline, Mich./Saline HS), Katie Erdman (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS), Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett HS), Lesley Jurasek (Concord, Mich./Albion HS), Jennifer Liechtman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills HS), Jentry Soule (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) and Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS).
The two other newest Wolverines are sophomore transfer Ana Gjesdal (La Crescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) and Lauren Weddell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), an Indiana graduate who comes to Michigan with junior standing.
Galloping Gallo ...
Junior Lindsey Gallo returns to the Maize and Blue lineup this year following a 2001 season in which she was Michigan's top finisher in all six races. Gallo's best finish came at the Big Ten Championships (Oct. 28) where she placed seventh in 17:26 to earn All-Big Ten first team honors. Gallo also placed seventh at the Miami Invitational (Sept. 8) with a time of 18:43, leading the Wolverines to a third-place finish..
10 Years of Leadership ...
Mike McGuire enters his 11th season as head coach for the University of Michigan women's cross country team. In his first four seasons, McGuire accomplished what few have done in a lifetime, winning three consecutive Big Ten Conference and NCAA District IV championships, and finishing as high as second at the 1994 NCAA National Championship. To date, McGuire's Michigan teams have finished in the top two at the Big Ten championships in nine of his 10 years as head coach. McGuire's Wolverines also boast eight top-two finishes at the regional championships, winning the regional meet three consecutive years, 1993-95. His teams have finished among the nation's top 10 five times at the NCAA National Championship.
Since joining the Wolverines' coaching staff in 1992, McGuire has earned both the Big Ten and NCAA District IV Coach of the Year honors three times, and is one of only two coaches to earn the conference honor three consecutive seasons. Under McGuire's guidance, Michigan has had its best individual and team NCAA cross country finishes.
| Year | School | Big Ten | Regional | NCAA | All-Americans |
| 1992 | Michigan | 1st | 2nd | 8th | Two |
| 1993 | Michigan | 1st | 1st | 6th | Two |
| 1994 | Michigan | 1st | 1st | 2nd | Three |
| 1995 | Michigan | 2nd | 1st | 7th | Two |
| 1996 | Michigan | 3rd | 4th | --- | --- |
| 1997 | Michigan | 2nd | 2nd | 7th | Two |
| 1998 | Michigan | 2nd | 2nd | 11th | One |
| 1999 | Michigan | 2nd | 3rd | 15th | One |
| 2000 | Michigan | 2nd | 2nd | 14th | One |
| 2001 | Michigan | 2nd | 7th | --- | --- |
Recapping the 2001 Season ...
The 2001 Wolverines finished the season placing seventh out of 31 teams at the NCAA Regional Meet on Nov. 10. Two weeks prior to the finish of the season, the Maize and Blue placed second at the Big Ten Championships (Oct. 28). Individually, Michigan received all-conference runs from Lindsey Gallo and Jeanne Spink. Gallo lead the way for U-M coming in seventh to earn All-Big Ten first team honors, while Spink placed 13th, earning All-Big Ten second team.
Up Next ...
Michigan next takes to the cross country path Saturday (Sept. 14) at the Mel Brodt Invitational held on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, with start time scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
Contact: Gene Skidmore, 734-647-4237
Players Mentioned
