2010 Season Outlook

The 2010 Cross Country season will open for the Cardinals on September 4th with the running of the annual Bob Creamer Memorial 3k. The inter-squad event traditionally kicks off the season for the Jesuit harriers and has become a fun introduction to the competitive season. The Cardinals will then travel to the University of Notre Dame for the All-Catholic Schools championships on September 17th. This will be their first meet against outside competition.

This year’s squad returns a solid core of talented young runners that should make for an exciting and competitive season. The squad will be lead by Sophomore distance ace Megan Truelove (Scott Depot, WV). Truelove is coming off a stellar freshman campaign where she finished 3rd at the WVIAC cross country championships and set multiple personal bests in her first track season for the Cardinals. Also leading the Lady Card’s will be Senior Middle distance runner Chelsea Reyher (Newtown Square, PA). Reyher has been a constant fixture in the Card’s top five the past three years and should provide some great leadership for the youthful team. 

Also returning from last year’s top seven for the Cardinals, are Sophomores Jennifer McFarland (St. Mary’s, WV) and Katie Balbier (Cleveland, OH). Both athletes had great outdoor track seasons and should contribute heavily to 2010 squad. Other returners looking to make an impact on the varsity squad are Sophomores Jessica Battilochi (Rayland, OH), Lindsey Mills (Fairmont, WV), and Ari Cerritelli (Bethesda, MD). All of these athletes will be vying for a spot in the Cardinals top seven and will look to build upon a successful 2009 season.

A new crop of incoming freshman are also looking to make their mark for the Cardinals in 2010. High school standouts Jessica Zimak (Washington, PA) and Michelle Pottratz (Danville, IN) headline the 2010 class and should make an instant impact on the top seven.

This season’s squad has a lot of young talent and should make some waves in the WVIAC. It will be a little bit harder to win a WVIAC title without Sarah Campanelli, who will be redshirting the 2010 cross country season, but it should give the Lady Cards a chance to gel together and gain some valuable experience for the future. Head Coach Ricky Moore still has high expectations for this year’s squad even without Campanelli,

“We have been steadily moving towards the front of the conference each season and regaining our standing as one of the top programs in the WVIAC. With the athletes that we have this season, It is still our goal to win a conference title and improve our finish at the NCAA Regional meet. We have some really talented ladies who were just begging to show their potential at the end of the outdoor track season last year. Hopefully they can build upon that form and race even better this cross country season.”