Courtesy Alison Wade/New York Road Runners Sophomore Jodee Adams-Moore led the team last weekend.

THE PLAINS, Va. – Even while competing without five of its top seven returning runners, the No. 2 Georgetown women’s cross country team had no problem making quick work of No. 7 Yale and Penn State in the team’s season opener last Saturday at the Great Meadows Field Events Center in The Plains, Va.

Led by sophomore Jodee Adams-Moore, the Hoyas tallied 35 points for a decisive victory over second place finisher Penn State (40) and Yale (53).

“Even though we didn’t have our entire team lined up, I still thought we’d have a huge battle on our hands,” Assistant Coach Juli Henner said. “We did have a battle, especially with some individuals, but as far as the team race, I really thought it would be a lot closer, and I thought we were going to end up second or third.”

“This was a great first step for us,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Ron Helmer said. “Any time when we can have a different person – this week it was Jodee – go out and run No. 1 for us, and do so with some intensity and aggressiveness, particularly over the last part of the race, I think that’s a big boost.”

Adams-Moore, Georgetown’s sixth finisher at nationals last year, timed 17:50.71 to claim fourth place behind Yale All-Americans Laura and Kate O’Neil and Penn State freshman Tracey Brauksieck.

“I was extremely pleased with Jodee,” Henner said. “She had some difficulties toward the end of last year in outdoor track, and starting off on the right foot like she did on Saturday, I think bodes well for her fall and should help propel her into indoor and outdoor track.”

At the start of the race, Georgetown junior Treniere Clement shot into the lead and remained there throughout the first two miles, pacing a group that included Adams-Moore, senior Erin Sicher and the three eventual top finishers.

“We threw a big-time challenge at Treniere,” Henner said. “We asked her to go and take control of a race where there were two two-time cross country All-Americans in there. And she didn’t hesitate at all, didn’t bat an eye and went for it. She paid for it a little bit in the last mile, but I think it was a really good experience for her, and I think once she gets a little more training under her belt, that she’s going to be a big-time rising star on our team.”

Clement controlled the tempo for the first mile, giving Georgetown control of the race in its early stages.

“Having Treniere in front really helped Jodee and I stay with the lead pack,” Sicher said. “We figured there would be girls who would break off from the beginning, but it didn’t happen.”

“The plan was to run a conservative race and make sure I had enough left so that the last mile could be the hardest,” Adams-Moore said. “Toward the beginning, the pace was pretty comfortable. I like having space, and felt very relaxed up-front.”

Just beyond the halfway point, Yale’s two top runners broke away and assumed control of the lead.

“I was waiting for it to happen, and thought the most probable place would be the two-mile mark,” Sicher said. “From then on, I just focused on staying with Jodee.”

The two Yale frontrunners eventually developed a sizable lead, and finished first and second in times of 17:29.30 and 17:31.86, respectively. Brauksieck was third in 17:42.22.

“If I had tried to go with them [at the two-mile mark], things couldn’t have turned out as the race plan was designed,” Adams-Moore said.

Running a conservative race, Adams-Moore was able to save energy, and with its strategy of withholding several top runners, Georgetown overall took a laid-back approach to the meet. Yale, on the other hand, appeared to attack the race with full-throttle intensity.

“Every race you have, you need to give it everything you’ve got,” runner-up Laura O’Neil said. “And we faced some good competition today. Georgetown looked really strong. Both our women’s coach and assistant men’s coach went to Georgetown, so we’re always hearing about how good a program they have. They’re always strong, year in and year out.”

“Yale ran about everybody they had on a team that’s ranked in the top-10 in the country,” Helmer said. “The fact that we were able to go out-perform the way that we did shows me that our second-line kids right now are very, very good.”

After Adams-Moore and Sicher, Georgetown received exceptional performances from its third, fourth and fifth scorers – juniors Sarah Scholl and Treniere Clement and freshman Erin Henry – all of whom finished within a 39-second spread of the lead.

“I knew that if we were going to win, it would be back in four and five,” Helmer said. “I would have thought that both Yale and Penn State could have put together a better four and five than we did, but I probably underestimated us a little bit.”

Scholl’s dazzling performance may have been the most unexpected, considering that the transfer from Colgate is running just her second season of cross-country after a collegiate soccer career.

“Sarah had a big breakthrough race,” Henner said. “I think for her, it was a matter of making some decisions. Last year, coming from more of a low-key program – Colgate – into the environment we have, I think allowed her to look around and see how good she could be if she decided to go for it and do all the work that’s necessary to be good. I think that’s the driving force behind her improvement.”

And Scholl has shown steady progress over the past year, last indoor season qualifying for the Big East Championships in the mile and 3,000m and later setting a school record in the steeplechase.

“She’s poised to take a big step forward, but we’ll just have to wait and see,” Helmer said. “In Sarah’s case, the door’s open, and it just depends how she deals with it. A year of training here, and not breaking down, and then a good summer has opened up the door to where she’s now running pretty well. But lots of questions are still unanswered. What happens when the All-Americans gun from the beginning, what happens when they turn it into a very painful race, and can she stay healthy? There are a lot of issues to be dealt with. I’m very optimistic, but she’s going to have to be careful.”

Clement’s strong performance provides another example of an athlete emerging as a top-tier runner on the team.

“Treniere stepped up last year and ran very well on the track, then trained hard over the summer,” Helmer said. “She’s starting to go through the maturation process, and is learning how to be a big-time racer. I have great confidence in her.”

As Georgetown’s top freshman, Henry also made an impact, crossing the line in 18:29.69 for fifth on the team and 11th overall. Kim Malcolm, another freshman, placed sixth on the team and 17th overall.

“I thought the freshmen did a really, really, nice job,” Henner said. “They’re adjusting to a new workload and a more intense environment, and to come out and race as hard as they did was terrific. They never gave up – not one step. They went out and fought the whole way.”

Following their victory, the team will continue training for the next two weeks until traveling to Charlotte, N.C., for the Great American Cross Country Festival on Sept. 27.

“[Last Saturday] I was prepared to get beat and go forward on a positive note or win and go forward on a positive note,” Helmer said. “Winning makes things a little bit easier.”