The Voice

Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: sports

Media Credit: Krista Romposki Beth Schwing (sophmore)

Media Credit: Krista Romposki Tonia Zangari (Senior)

Ask any member of the Bloomsburg Cross Country team what their main advantage is over other teams in the PSAC, and you will surely get the response: "the hills." It's difficult to run anywhere in Bloomsburg without facing steep hills, and the Huskies' training runs almost always include several. The majority of their runs end with the grueling climb from lower to upper campus, sometimes after having running 10 or more miles.

That intensity paid off for the Huskies this past weekend at Slippery Rock University, where the women's team took 2nd place and the men took 3rd. The Huskies proved that they were up for the challenge. The women came in second to IUP by only five points. They were lead by senior Amber Hackenberg who took fifth place out of 98 runners with a time of 23:58. Sophomore Bethany Schwing was on Hackenberg's heels and took 7th overall in a time of 24:03. Finishing 3rd for the Huskies women was graduate co-captain Toni Zangari, making her season debut in the top three in a time of 24:39 and a 13th place finish overall.

Throughout the season, Toni has been consistently moving up the field among her teammates, hoping to make varsity and compete in the championship races. "My goals for this cross country season were simple and broad. Starting out the season I personally hoped to be varsity and team-wise hoped to make nationals. On both counts it would require training and racing better than last year. Before Saturday, I was satisfied, as each race was getting better than the last. I was moving up on the team and we were placing better as a team. I wasn't where I wanted to be, but I knew, and we knew, that the season was not yet over and the more important races were yet to come." Saturday's race enhanced her personal and team goals. "I've basically achieved my personal goal; now I can only maintain or improve. There is no going back. My attitude is only more determined but also more confident."

As far as the team is concerned: "Placing second, only five points behind IUP, was awesome. We now know what we are capable of and that we can do so much more, which is what Regionals will demand of us. I think it gave all of us more confidence and motivation…we're pumped." The women finished dominating the top 20 with 16th 17th, and 18th place finishes from sophomore Ashley Shuck, freshman Angela Borealo, and senior Sarah Bounds, respectively.

On the men's side, senior co-captain Justin Shepherd had a sensational race on the 8K course with a 2nd place finish overall, coming in behind Jeff Weis of Slippery Rock in a time of 26:00. Following Shepherd was junior Jim Stockley who took 21st in 27:36 and sophomore Dan Tallarico, repeating his placement in the top 3 for the team in a time of 27:39 and a 22nd overall finish. Dan felt much more confident going into this race. "After last week's race, I had no problem hanging with some of our top guys. I just learned to stay relaxed and enjoy the race. We do a lot of hill work throughout the season, and our home course is full of hills, so I think we might be more used to them than some other teams. But I'm sure everyone else is making an effort to train on hills since the PSAC and Regional courses are full of them." The PSAC championship race will be held on the Huskies home course, while the Regional championship race, which determines who goes to Nationals, will be back at Slippery Rock.

The top nine male and female runners on each team will participate in the PSAC championship race. The Huskies' rosters for the race will be finalized after next weekend's junior varsity race at Elizabethtown College at 11:00 a.m.

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