Editor's note: For the next month, The Wood Report will be counting down projected team finishes in this year's NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN.
#12
Georgetown
Head Coach: Michael Smith (2nd Season)
2012 National Finish- 12th
Key Returners from 2012
- Madeline Chambers (Jr., 4:20 1500m, 9:09 Open 3k, 16:10 5k)
- Katrina Coogan (Jr., 4:13 1500m, 9:04 Open 3k, 15:50 5k)
- Samantha Nadel (So., 9:25 Open 3k, 16:14 5k)
- Rachel Schneider (Sr., 4:16 1500m, 9:17 Open 3k)
- Annamarie Maag (Jr., 9:39 Open 3k, 16:36 5k, 35:38 10k)
- Jenna Davidner (Jr., 16:49 5k, 35:40 10k)
- Joanna Stevens (Jr., 9:40 Open 3k, 16:36 5k)
Impact Recruits/Transfers
- Bobbie Burgess (Fr., 30th NXN '12, 9th FL Finals '12, 10:37 3200m)
- Stefanie Kurgatt (Fr., 4:49 1600m, 10:39 3200m)
- Rachel Paul (Redshirt Frosh, 9:22 Open 3k, 4:26 1500m (HS), 10:25 3200m)
- Haley Pierce (Redshirt Frosh, 4:41 1600m, 10:11 3200m, 9:16 Open 3k)
Season Preview
The Women Hoyas are potentially the scariest team in the NCAA for this upcoming 2013 season. With the depth of quality returners and top notch back to back recruiting classes, Coach Michael Smith has a wealth of talent that is prepared to defend their Big East title and to reclaim the Mid-Atlantic Regional title (that Penn State snagged from them by two points).
Where to begin? Honestly, this team has so many talented athletes that beginning to analyze them is causing serious writer's block.
To start credit needs to be given to Madeline Chambers for being the consistent no. 1 runner for the Hoyas for the majority of the 2012 season as a sophomore. She has two years under her belt of quality experience and is ready for an All-American season. Chambers is a pure cross country athlete and thrives out on the course. With her toughness and diligence, if she stays healthy, she's a very good no. 1.
Katrina Coogan, similarly to Chambers, was a consistent no. 2 runner in the championship portion of the season (except for the regional she was the third girl) for G-Town. Coogan is coming off of a very good track season. Her PRs of 4:13 for 1500m, 9:04 for the 3k indoors, and 15:50 put her in an elite group in the NCAA and she is certainly capable of being the Hoyas' no. 1 girl for 2013.
Annamarie Maag led Georgetown early on in 2012 at Pre-Nats and eventually settled into a no.3-5 girl and will be looked to for a similar contribution in 2013. Maag is a consistent athlete that is another piece to the puzzle for this program.
Speaking of pieces of the puzzle, Georgetown has eight other girls that could possibly make their top seven and would be on the majority of the top sevens on any team in the NCAA. In fact, this would be a very good year for Coach Smith to look at redshirting some athletes. This could save some excellent runners for another year when they might not be as deep as they are now.
From a recruiting standpoint, the past few seasons have brought in quite the crop of harriers from the prep ranks. The redshirt freshman that were a part of the 2012 class that will contribute are Haley Pierce and Rachel Paul. Pierce is a darkhorse that could be capable of rolling up front with Coogan and Chambers.
The most recent recruiting crop landed Bobbie Burgess and Stephanie Kurgatt. Burgess was one of the top cross country runners in the country for her class in 2012 and will bring that high level experience to the table for the Hoyas this year. Granted, she could be one of the girls that could redshirt and learn from the very quality girls she will be surrounded by.
The key for Georgetown is consistency from their 3-5 runners. Coogan and Chambers are very good front runners. It is crucial that the Hoyas stay healthy (the case for every team in NCAA) and that Maag, Schneider, Nadel, Davidner, and Stevens can stay mentally tough enough to play their important role of keeping the 1-5 spread very close.
If they can do so, this ranking is a farce and they deserve to be at least top 10, if not better. Until they prove otherwise, #12 is the right spot for Georgetown to start off the 2013 season.
The Women Hoyas are potentially the scariest team in the NCAA for this upcoming 2013 season. With the depth of quality returners and top notch back to back recruiting classes, Coach Michael Smith has a wealth of talent that is prepared to defend their Big East title and to reclaim the Mid-Atlantic Regional title (that Penn State snagged from them by two points).
Where to begin? Honestly, this team has so many talented athletes that beginning to analyze them is causing serious writer's block.
To start credit needs to be given to Madeline Chambers for being the consistent no. 1 runner for the Hoyas for the majority of the 2012 season as a sophomore. She has two years under her belt of quality experience and is ready for an All-American season. Chambers is a pure cross country athlete and thrives out on the course. With her toughness and diligence, if she stays healthy, she's a very good no. 1.
Katrina Coogan, similarly to Chambers, was a consistent no. 2 runner in the championship portion of the season (except for the regional she was the third girl) for G-Town. Coogan is coming off of a very good track season. Her PRs of 4:13 for 1500m, 9:04 for the 3k indoors, and 15:50 put her in an elite group in the NCAA and she is certainly capable of being the Hoyas' no. 1 girl for 2013.
Annamarie Maag led Georgetown early on in 2012 at Pre-Nats and eventually settled into a no.3-5 girl and will be looked to for a similar contribution in 2013. Maag is a consistent athlete that is another piece to the puzzle for this program.
Speaking of pieces of the puzzle, Georgetown has eight other girls that could possibly make their top seven and would be on the majority of the top sevens on any team in the NCAA. In fact, this would be a very good year for Coach Smith to look at redshirting some athletes. This could save some excellent runners for another year when they might not be as deep as they are now.
From a recruiting standpoint, the past few seasons have brought in quite the crop of harriers from the prep ranks. The redshirt freshman that were a part of the 2012 class that will contribute are Haley Pierce and Rachel Paul. Pierce is a darkhorse that could be capable of rolling up front with Coogan and Chambers.
The most recent recruiting crop landed Bobbie Burgess and Stephanie Kurgatt. Burgess was one of the top cross country runners in the country for her class in 2012 and will bring that high level experience to the table for the Hoyas this year. Granted, she could be one of the girls that could redshirt and learn from the very quality girls she will be surrounded by.
The key for Georgetown is consistency from their 3-5 runners. Coogan and Chambers are very good front runners. It is crucial that the Hoyas stay healthy (the case for every team in NCAA) and that Maag, Schneider, Nadel, Davidner, and Stevens can stay mentally tough enough to play their important role of keeping the 1-5 spread very close.
If they can do so, this ranking is a farce and they deserve to be at least top 10, if not better. Until they prove otherwise, #12 is the right spot for Georgetown to start off the 2013 season.
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