GU Kicks off Season Against Yale By Scott Homa and Jillian Saucier Hoya Staff Writers

Georgetown will open its 2002 cross country season tomorrow, at 9 a.m. The Hoyas will meet some emerging NCAA contenders at the Great Meadows Field Event Center in The Plains, Va.

The women’s team, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, will square off against No. 7 Yale and unranked Penn State, which is receiving votes in the Sept. 5 NCAA coaches’ poll. The men will face Yale in a dual meet.

The Yale women, who have won the past two consecutive Ivy League cross country titles, return the team’s entire lineup from 2001 and are led by twins Laura and Kate O’Neil – both two-time cross country All-Americans.

Penn State was fifth at the 2001 Mid-Atlantic Regionals and this season boasts one of the country’s most highly touted recruits in two-time Foot Locker National Finalist Tracey Brauksieck.

Although facing challenging teams this weekend, Georgetown is not expected to field its complete lineup. A few runners are expected to rest minor injuries, while others continue to prepare for later meets. Senior All-Americans Jill Laurendeau and Marni Kruppa will both sit the race out, as will juniors Amanda Pape and Colleen Kelly and sophomore Nicole Lee. Senior Erin Sicher and sophomore Jodee Adams-Moore will be the only two members of the returning seven expected to compete.

“We’re not looking to set the world on fire,” Assistant Coach Juli Henner said. “The meet will be more of an opportunity for the freshmen to get their feet wet and for our other runners to obtain some race experience.”

The men’s portion is set to go off 30 minutes after the start of the women’s race at 9:30 a.m. The Georgetown men are currently tied for No. 9 nationally, and they placed 15th last year at the NCAA cross country championships.

Yale was fifth at the 2001 NCAA Northeast Regional and is led by junior Christopher Andew who placed seventh at the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) championships last year. Danny Ireland, a Georgetown graduate of 1991, coaches the Yale men’s team.

Among the men running for Georgetown on Saturday will be returning seniors Javon Broderick and Ethan Kerns, sophomores Charles Millioen and Tommy Manning and freshman Fleet Hower.

“We want to win, but we’re looking at this race as a stepping stone to get ready for the big meets later on in the year,” Assistant Coach Patrick Henner said.