September 14, 2005

America East Announces Preseason Cross Country Polls

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The America East Conference announced its Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll today. The University of Vermont women’s cross country team was picked to finish sixth overall, while the men’s squad was picked to finish eighth out of nine teams in the league.

The women’s team will be led by sophomore Diana Purtz (Powell, Ohio). Last year’s team MVP as a freshman, Purtz was the team’s top runner in nearly every race last season. She began the 2005 campaign with a 10th place finish at the Dartmouth Invitational last weekend. Newcomer Annika Frodi-Lundgren (Linkoping, Sweden) along with veterans Katy Jackson (Saco, Maine) and Heather Mitchell (Queensbury, N.Y.) will also be among UVM’s top runners this year. The Catamounts finished fifth at the 2004 America East Championship Race a year ago.

The men’s team will also be led by the 2004 team MVP, senior Brad Allen (Morrisville, Vt.). Allen was Vermont’s top runner in every race last season and looks to have another solid season in 2005. Joining Allen will be freshman Ben Fletcher (Santa Fe, N.M.) and junior Sean Steinhagen (Portland, Maine). The Catamounts opened the 2005 season at the Dartmouth Invitational and posted a strong performance, led by Allen.

Both Catamounts teams will run in the UMass Triangular race, along with the Minutemen and the Maine Black Bears, on Saturday, September 17. The race will take place on the campus of Amherst College and begins at 11:30am.

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Lisa Champagne
Director of Athletic Communications
University of Vermont
P: 802-656-1818
F: 802-656-8328
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http://www.uvmathletics.com