Saturday, November 1
DeLand, Fla.
8:30 a.m.
University of North Florida
at
Atlantic Sun Championship
Photo by: Todd Drexler
#WXC Sets Sights High for #ASunXC Championships
10/31/2014 8:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
DeBARY, Fla. -- The North Florida women's cross country team looks to continue its strong running Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m., in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship meet hosted by Stetson at River City Nature Park.
The Ospreys, currently ranked No. 9 in the latest USTFCCCA South Region poll, have finished among the top three teams in four of five races this season and are coming off an impressive showing at the Crimson Classic in their last outing two weeks ago. UNF captured the A-Sun title in 2010, marking the program's lone title in the conference championship event.
"We have been waiting all year long for this weekend to have the chance to compete for an Atlantic Sun Championship," said head coach Jeff Pigg. "As the season progressed, our development indicated we could be in the hunt to win the conference crown. That has made it a really fun season. We still continue getting better even late in the season. Our veteran women's squad is rounding into top shape." Â
Freshman Eden Meyer has been a key contibutor for the UNF lineup all season. Meyer has been the Osprey's top finisher in each of the last three races and was the second finisher in her other two events. She posted a personal best and team season best time of 17:35.81 at the Mt. Dew Invitational.Â
"Jacksonville native, Eden Meyer has had a magnificent freshman cross country campaign," Pigg said. "She prepared well for the season and hit the ground running upon her arrival at UNF. Eden was the perfect infusion into our veteran lineup. She is a quiet, hard worker with a lot of talent and all of the girls have tremendous respect for her."
Seniors Andelka Tancic and Elle Baker have been solid senior leaders at the top of the UNF lineup. Tancic was the team's top finisher in the first two races of the season and also posted a personal best time of 17:45.01 at the Mt. Dew Invitational. Baker has been a consistent performer for the Ospreys and highlighted her final campaign with a personal best at the Upstate Invitational running a time of 17:55.13.
"Andelka Tancic and Elle Baker are both coming off of excellent track and cross country seasons a year ago and they picked up this season where they left off last year," continued Pigg. "They are very fit, well prepared and 100 percent healthy as we head into the weekend. Both of them are running at a higher level than they ever have, and it will be exciting to see how they stack up against the best in the conference."
The junior duo of Alessandra Valdes and Alexis Irwin along with senior Alyssa Brandt have provided North Florida with solid depth in the lineup. Valdes (18:05.25/Crimson Classic) and Brandt (18:11.70/Mt. Dew Invitational) each recorded personal best times this fall, while Irwin owns two of the team's Top 10 times of the season including her season best 18:13.05 at the Mt. Dew Invitational.
"Ale Valdes has improved dramatically from last year to this one," added Pigg. "We have seen many flashes of brilliance in her career, but now we are seeing it on a consistent basis. She is a fierce competitor and is on her game, and believe will be tough to beat. Alexis Irwin is coming off of a very good race in Alabama, where she finished as our third runner. We knew that type of race was coming and it is nice to see her peaking just at the right time. Alyssa Brandt, who was our top runner last year at the Regional meet, managed her season well and is in peak form and primed to run well this weekend."
Junior Lauren Gonzalez and the freshmen pair of Dagmar Olsen and Michelle Wolff round out the race lineup for UNF at the conference championship meet. Gonzalez is coming off a personal best race, having run an 18:45.36 at the Crimson Classic just two weeks ago. Olsen has competed in four events, racing a personal best 18:38.19 in the Mt. Dew Invitational, while Wolff will run in her third race of the season after competing in the year's first two contests.
"Lauren Gonzales is getting back into great shape after some early season struggles," concluded Pigg. "She has shown in practice that she is ready to run. Dagmar Olsen has run a 2:07 in the 800m and has trained very well thoughout the fall. Her speciality is shorter track races, but she is such a good competitor that we feel like we will see her race very well in her final cross country meet of the season. Rounding out our top nine is Michelle Wolff, a freshman from DeLand, who has improved her 5k time over two minutes this season and continues getting better."
Following the Atlantic Sun Championship on Saturday, the NCAA South Regional meet is scheduled for Nov. 14 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @OspreyXCTF on Twitter. General athletic news can be found at UNFOspreys on Facebook and Instagram.
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The Ospreys, currently ranked No. 9 in the latest USTFCCCA South Region poll, have finished among the top three teams in four of five races this season and are coming off an impressive showing at the Crimson Classic in their last outing two weeks ago. UNF captured the A-Sun title in 2010, marking the program's lone title in the conference championship event.
"We have been waiting all year long for this weekend to have the chance to compete for an Atlantic Sun Championship," said head coach Jeff Pigg. "As the season progressed, our development indicated we could be in the hunt to win the conference crown. That has made it a really fun season. We still continue getting better even late in the season. Our veteran women's squad is rounding into top shape." Â
Freshman Eden Meyer has been a key contibutor for the UNF lineup all season. Meyer has been the Osprey's top finisher in each of the last three races and was the second finisher in her other two events. She posted a personal best and team season best time of 17:35.81 at the Mt. Dew Invitational.Â
"Jacksonville native, Eden Meyer has had a magnificent freshman cross country campaign," Pigg said. "She prepared well for the season and hit the ground running upon her arrival at UNF. Eden was the perfect infusion into our veteran lineup. She is a quiet, hard worker with a lot of talent and all of the girls have tremendous respect for her."
Seniors Andelka Tancic and Elle Baker have been solid senior leaders at the top of the UNF lineup. Tancic was the team's top finisher in the first two races of the season and also posted a personal best time of 17:45.01 at the Mt. Dew Invitational. Baker has been a consistent performer for the Ospreys and highlighted her final campaign with a personal best at the Upstate Invitational running a time of 17:55.13.
"Andelka Tancic and Elle Baker are both coming off of excellent track and cross country seasons a year ago and they picked up this season where they left off last year," continued Pigg. "They are very fit, well prepared and 100 percent healthy as we head into the weekend. Both of them are running at a higher level than they ever have, and it will be exciting to see how they stack up against the best in the conference."
The junior duo of Alessandra Valdes and Alexis Irwin along with senior Alyssa Brandt have provided North Florida with solid depth in the lineup. Valdes (18:05.25/Crimson Classic) and Brandt (18:11.70/Mt. Dew Invitational) each recorded personal best times this fall, while Irwin owns two of the team's Top 10 times of the season including her season best 18:13.05 at the Mt. Dew Invitational.
"Ale Valdes has improved dramatically from last year to this one," added Pigg. "We have seen many flashes of brilliance in her career, but now we are seeing it on a consistent basis. She is a fierce competitor and is on her game, and believe will be tough to beat. Alexis Irwin is coming off of a very good race in Alabama, where she finished as our third runner. We knew that type of race was coming and it is nice to see her peaking just at the right time. Alyssa Brandt, who was our top runner last year at the Regional meet, managed her season well and is in peak form and primed to run well this weekend."
Junior Lauren Gonzalez and the freshmen pair of Dagmar Olsen and Michelle Wolff round out the race lineup for UNF at the conference championship meet. Gonzalez is coming off a personal best race, having run an 18:45.36 at the Crimson Classic just two weeks ago. Olsen has competed in four events, racing a personal best 18:38.19 in the Mt. Dew Invitational, while Wolff will run in her third race of the season after competing in the year's first two contests.
"Lauren Gonzales is getting back into great shape after some early season struggles," concluded Pigg. "She has shown in practice that she is ready to run. Dagmar Olsen has run a 2:07 in the 800m and has trained very well thoughout the fall. Her speciality is shorter track races, but she is such a good competitor that we feel like we will see her race very well in her final cross country meet of the season. Rounding out our top nine is Michelle Wolff, a freshman from DeLand, who has improved her 5k time over two minutes this season and continues getting better."
Following the Atlantic Sun Championship on Saturday, the NCAA South Regional meet is scheduled for Nov. 14 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @OspreyXCTF on Twitter. General athletic news can be found at UNFOspreys on Facebook and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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