W&J CROSS COUNTRY CLOSES SEASON AT MIDEAST REGIONAL (11/13) SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College men s and women s cross country teams wrapped up their seasons Saturday at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional hosted by Carnegie Mellon University at Cooper s Lake Campground. The Presidents men improved six spots from last year s regional finish to claim 24th place out of 47 teams. Sophomore Scott Ryan s (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) 40th-place 8K showing (26:26) led W&J in the 316-runner field. Haverford won the team competition and one of its runners, Andrew Holberg, picked up the individual title with a time of 24:59. The W&J women placed 39th of 45 squads. Cecilia Furlong of Johns Hopkins claimed individual championship with a time of 21:57 in the 6K race to lead the Blue Jays to the team title. Sophomore Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) was the men s second-best finisher in 93rd place (27:24), while senior Andrew Howard (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) garnered 142nd place (28:11). Freshman Brad Hanne (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) placed 216th (29:50), while senior Richard Koch (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) turned in a 231st-place finish in a time of 30:16. Freshmen Alexander Mey (Parma, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) and Anthony Boccine (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) rounded out the Presidents in 302nd (34:17) and 313th (36:14) places, respectively. Freshman Kia Ruhkamp (Laura, Ohio/Milton-Union) highlighted the women s squad with a 158th place finish (25:49). Senior Laura Procario (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) wrapped up her career in 193rd place (26:36), while freshman Atoosha Hashemi (Fullerton, Calif./Sunny Hills) took 268th place (29:04). Junior Kate Loy (Pittsburgh, Pa./South Park) turned in a 280th-place showing (29:28) and freshman Haley Roberts (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) notched 298th (31:30). Freshman Metzli Rivera (Houston, Texas/YES Prep SE) collected 304th place (32:09), while sophomore Olivia Halula (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) ran 35:05 and placed 314th. Ryan 10 PACRYAN TAKES SECOND IN DRAMATIC RACE AT PAC CHAMPIONSHIPS; W&J CLAIMS 4TH (M) AND 6TH (W) (10/30) WAYNESBURG, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College men s and women s cross country teams placed fourth and sixth, respectively, Saturday at the 2010 Presidents Athletic Conference Championships. Saint Vincent (32 points) won the men s title, snapping Grove City s 19-year run of conference champions. The Wolverines finished with 66 points and were followed by Thiel (106), W&J (135), Waynesburg (166), Westminster (176), Thomas More (195) and Bethany (212).
Grove City was able to capture the women s championship with 21 points. Saint Vincent (70) was second, while Waynesburg (117), Westminster (137), Chatham (155), W&J (207), Thiel (209), Bethany (211) and Thomas More (252) rounded out the standings. The men s individual race was a battle between W&J sophomore Scott Ryan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) and Grove City senior Garrett Cichowitz. Cichowitz (25:49.44) earned his second-straight conference title after edging Ryan (25:51.20) by less than two seconds for the title. Senior Andrew Howard (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) captured 24th place with a time of 28:07, while sophomore Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) was 49th at 28:14. Freshman Brad Hanne (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) turned in an 87th-place showing (29:18), while senior Richard Koch (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) placed 135th (30:06). Freshman Alexander Mey (Parma, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) notched 193rd place (33:12) and classmate Anthony Boccine (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) rounded out the W&J competitors in 253rd place (34:25). The women s race was won by Saint Vincent s Ivette Mejia (22:41). W&J s top finisher was freshman Kia Ruhkamp (Laura, Ohio/Milton-Union), who claimed 25th place (25:36). Senior Laura Procario (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) was close behind in 30th place (25:50), while junior Kate Loy (Pittsburgh, Pa./South Park) and freshman Atoosha Hashemi (Fullerton, Calif./Sunny Hills) placed 67th and 68th, respectively. Loy had a time of 28:40, while Hashemi was two seconds behind. Junior Liann Correia (Marion, Mass./Old Rochester) finished 79th (29:40) and freshman Metzli Rivera (Houston, Texas/YES Prep SE) garnered 88th (30:43). Freshman Haley Roberts (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) claimed 95th place (32:01), while sophomore Olivia Halula (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) was the final W&J runner and she took 101st place (33:11). Washington & Jefferson returns to action in two weeks at the NCAA Mideast Regional at Slippery Rock. W&J CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS COMPETE AT GETTYSBURG INVITATIONAL (10/16) GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's cross country team placed 15th, while the women's squad notched 19th place Saturday at the 25-team Gettysburg College Invitational. The W&J men were led by sophomore Scott Ryan's (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) sixth-place showing in the 304-runner field. He posted a time of 26:17 in the 8K race. Sophomore Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) placed 73rd with a time of 28:01, while senior Andy Howard (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) finished 76th (28:04).
The Presidents' women were paced by senior Laura Procario (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford), who placed 108th in a 288-runner field during the 6K race. Freshman Nicole Montecalvo (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) earned 122nd place (26:32), while first-year runner Kia Ruhkamp (Laura, Ohio/Milton-Union) collected 130th place (26:39). W&J now has two weeks to prepare for the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Waynesburg at the Greene County Airport on October 30th. RYAN PLACES 18TH TO LEAD W&J AT CMU INVITATIONAL (10/9) PITTSBURGH, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College men s and women s cross country teams placed 14th and 15th, respectively, Saturday at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational at Schenley Park. Division II Wayne State won both team championships. A total of 22 teams competed in the men s division, while 24 squads ran for the women s title. Brian Harvey of CMU won the men s 8K race with a time of 25:15, while Anne Koontz of Seton Hill won the 5K women s race in a time of 18:42. The Presidents men were led by sophomore Scott Ryan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) who took 18th place out of 234 runners with a time of 26:46. Classmate Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) took 76th place (28:15), while freshman Brad Hanne (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) earned 138th place (30:03). Senior Richard Koch (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) placed one spot behind Hanne with 30:04, while freshman Alexander Mey (Parma, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) was 200th overall (33:07). Freshman Anthony Boccine (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) was the final W&J runner in 219th place (35:36). The W&J women were paced by freshman Nicole Montecalvo s (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) 55thplace finish (21:09). A total of 261 runners competed in the women s race. Senior Laura Procario (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) claimed 98th place (22:10) and freshman Kia Ruhkamp (Laura, Ohio/Milton-Union) took 104th (22:18). Freshman Atoosha Hashemi (Fullerton, Calif./Sunny Hills) placed 149th (23:25), while junior Liann Correia (Marion, Mass./Old Rochester) was 202nd (25:17). Sophomore Olivia Halula (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) placed 223rd (26:23). Washington & Jefferson returns to action next Saturday at the Gettysburg Invitational. W&J CROSS COUNTRY COMPETES AT MIDEAST PRE-REGIONAL RACE (9/25)
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College cross country teams posted 10th (men) and 14th (women) place finishes Saturday at the Mideast Pre-Regional meet hosted by Carnegie Mellon University at Coopers Lake Campground. Carnegie Mellon won the men's title in a field of 16 teams with 33 points. CMU's Dan Addis earned medalist honors with an 8K time of 25:41. A total of 217 male runners competed. The women's team title was claimed by Oberlin with 41 points. The Yeowomen were led by Joanna Johnson's 6K time of 21:50 which topped the field of 177 runners. W&J's top male finisher was once again sophomore Scott Ryan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East), who took eighth place with a time of 26:31. Classmate Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) earned 33rd place (27:34), while senior Andy Howard (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) finished 75th (28:48). Freshman Nicole Montecalvo (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) paced the W&J women with a 57th-place finish (25:19). Classmate Kia Ruhkmap (Laura, Ohio/Milton-Union) was 94th (26:29). On the men's side, freshman Brad Hanne (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) turned in a 146th-place showing (30:35), while senior Richard Koch (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) placed 160th with a time of 31:27. Freshman Anthony Bocchine (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) collected 185th place (32:58) and Alexander Mey (Parma, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) notched 207th place (33:20). The third-best finisher of the afternoon for the women's squad was senior Laura Procario (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford), who claimed 122nd place (27:21). Freshmen Atoosha Hashemi (Fullerton, Calif./Sunny Hills) and Olivia Halula (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) placed 134th (28:03) and 174th (34:02), respectively. W&J has two weeks off before its next meet, the CMU Invitational on October 9th at 10:30 am. RYAN SETS RECORD IN PRESIDENTS' SEASON-OPENING RACE (9/11) WAYNESBURG, Pa. - The Washington & Jefferson College cross country teams opened their 2010 seasons Saturday at the Waynesburg Invitational hosted at the Greene County Airport. The Presidents' men placed fifth of 10 teams and were led by a record-breaking performance by sophomore Scott Ryan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East). Ryan set the school record for the 8K with a time of 25:57. He placed third in a 112-runner field, seven seconds behind medalist Dan Addis of Carnegie Mellon. The Tartans won the team title. The W&J women finished in eighth place out of 12 squads. Grove City earned the team championship, while Emily Wobb of CMU ran a 6K time of 22:46 to earn the individual title.
Sophomore Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) placed 22nd overall with a time of 27:51. Senior captain Andy Howard (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) notched a time of 28:17 and freshman Brad Hanne (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) ran the course in 30:44. Senior Richard Koch (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) ran a time of 31:41, while freshmen Anthony Bocchine (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) and Alexander Mey (Parma, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) posted times of 33:11 and 37:06, respectively. The women's squad was led by freshman Nicole Montecalvo's (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) time of 25:15. She finished 21st in the 114-runner field. Freshman Kia Ruhkmap (Laura, Ohio/Milton-Union) finished with a time of 26:29, while senior captain Laura Procario (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) earned a time of 27:08. Freshman Atoosha Hashemi (Fullerton, Calif./Sunny Hills) collected a 29:36 finish, while junior Liann Correia (Marion, Mass./Old Rochester) posted 30:57. Freshman Haley Roberts (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and Olivia Halula (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) recorded times of 32:13 and 36:42. Washington & Jefferson returns to action in two weeks the Mideast Pre-Regional Meet at Slippery Rock University. Benjamin Kopchick2010 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON SEASON PREVIEW For a second consecutive season, the Washington & Jefferson men's cross country team will depend on youth for success this fall. Under Eighth-year Head Coach Mark FitzPatrick, the Presidents return just two seniors. Seniors Andrew Howard, named team captain, and Richard Koch return after studying abroad during their junior years to hopefully lead the Presidents ahead of last year's fourth-place finish at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship. Howard put up his best 2008 mark of 27:44 in the 8000 meter run at the Oberlin College Inter-Regional Rumble. Scott Ryan also returns after earning numerous accolades during his freshman campaign. Ryan was the first W&J men's cross country runner to earn Presidents' Athletic Conference Men's Runner of the Week three times or more during a season since Bobby Regan '08. Ryan collected his best time of the season at the Penn State-Behrend Invitational on September 19th, finishing the 8K in a time of 26:53. He finished the PAC Championship in fourth place to earn allconference honors. Ryan also competed in the U.S. Junior Track & Field Nationals in the 10,000 meters this summer. He won track & field conference championships in May in the 1,500 and 5,000 meter runs. Also returning is sophomore Benjamin Kopchick {pictured}, who looks to build upon a successful year in which he posted his best 8K time of 27:59 at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship. Kopchick was also a conference champion in track and field in the 10K, and took fourth in the conference in the 5K.
The Washington & Jefferson women also return a team full of youth for the 2010 season. Four freshmen step in this season looking to earn spots in W&J's top seven on a team where six of the nine runners are underclassmen. The Presidents' team captain, Laura Procario, is the veteran of the squad. Procario notched a season-best 6,000-meter time of 25:41 at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship and placed 21st at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championships during her junior year. Junior Kate Loy solidified her spot in the Presidents' top seven last year, posting a career-best time of 26:32 in the 6K at the NCAA Regional. Loy also recorded a 28th-place finish at the PAC Championships. Junior Liann Correia and sophomore Brittany Mosi hope to improve upon their 2009 performances. Correia ran the 6,000 meters in 30.11, while Mosi posted a time of 32.00 for season-best marks at Waynesburg. "We return solid performers on both teams and I believe we have improved as a team from last fall," said FitzPatrick. "However, we must continue that improvement each week. I am excited to get the season underway." W&J opens the 2010 season on September 11th at the Waynesburg Invitational. The PAC Championships, also hosted by Waynesburg, will be held on October 30th. Aliased Page: [Not Defined]