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Staying Together and Staying Strong
The women of Franciscan University’s cross country team know what kind of focus and unity it takes to stay champions. Since entering the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in 2008, the Lady Barons have earned the conference championship title every year. Success like that only comes from a special team dynamic.
“These girls are a very unique group,” noted head coach Dan Kuebler. “How they worked together, prayed for each other, ran with each other was just phenomenal. I haven’t seen anything like that before.”
It was a group that placed in the top of every race they competed in this season, including 12th out of 35 at the National Catholic Championship, a race that is primarily Division I, II and NAIA teams.
It was a group that continued to encourage one another to finish strong even after their number one runner, Teresa Evans, couldn’t compete. Freshman Nicole Krajewski stepped up and placed first at the conference championship and the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, a postseason competition Franciscan competed in for the first time in its history.
It was a group with incredible depth—a necessity to be three-time defending champions—recognized multiple times by the AMCC this season. Six of the Lady Barons made the AMCC All-Conference team, five of whom are graduating seniors. Krajewski earned Newcomer of the Year honors as well as Player of the Week. Evans was recognized twice as Player of the Week before her injuries forced her to bow out for the remainder of the season. Senior Lauren Garabedian was named to the All-Conference Sportsmanship Team for her demonstration of a high level of ethical conduct, respect and fair play in both practice and competition, and positive representation of school spirit.
Coach Kuebler honored the successful seniors with these words: “They are leaving behind a legacy that will be hard to follow…They were a really great group, and we will miss all of the seniors. They went out on top just like they deserved.”
This is the third consecutive year Kuebler was named Coach of the Year for women’s cross country in the AMCC.
Starting fall of 2011, the cross country team will be eligible for NCAA postseason competition. Congratulations, Lady Barons, on another successful season!
