September 17, 2003

Sulzener Runs 17:42 to Pace Zips at Miami Invitational

In a meet that provided a peek at the top schools in the Mid-American Conference and the Great Lakes Region, the Akron women's team showed a hint of what they are capable of achieving. The Miami Invitational featured two of the three MAC schools picked ahead of Akron in the pre-season coaches' poll, Ball State (2) and Miami (3), as well as the University of Michigan (2nd in the region, 12th nationally). Although the Zips came up short in the team score there were abundant encouraging signs to emerge from the competition. Morgan Sulzener ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Miami's Andrea Kremer, who placed 25th at the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championships, and Michigan's Jesse Allen-Young (NCAA Cross Country qualifier in 2001) before being outkicked in the final hundred meters. Jennie Castle showed more of her cross country potential running a lifetime best 18:18. And, after a slow start, Brandi Schoeppner passed three Michigan runners in the final 800m to finish 1 second behind last year's 11th-place finisher at the MAC Championships and 17th overall.

This week the Akron men will compete at the Toledo Invitational against conference rivals Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio, as well as the host University of Toledo.

Jennie Castle