Pitt cross country bonds during camp

For the first time, the Pitt cross country team spent a week in training camp.

The camp was… For the first time, the Pitt cross country team spent a week in training camp.

The camp was held at Hidden Valley Ski Resort in Donegal, Pa. Coaches Waddie Freeman and Alonzo Webb tried this new tactic with the intent of getting freshmen and upperclassmen to bond.

Runners trained on the resort’s trails, about 2800 feet above sea level, and worked out in the weight room.

Pitt’s captains are seniors Mike Diano and Rachel Rothe, and juniors Lauren Shaffer, Maureen McCandless and Nick Westerman.

They are joined by veteran standouts Kelly O’Connell, Dan Hull, Nicola Angstadt, Andrew Zang, Dawn Hilgert and Jeryl Wilborn.

Last season, reached a major milestone in the history of Pitt’s cross-country program. As a sophomore, she became the first cross country runner from the Panthers to qualify for the NCAA championships.

McCandless finished sixth in the regional meet and in the top 25 at the NCAA Championships.

Veterans from the men’s team include Clinton Kotuby and Dante Renzulli.

Pitt opens its season with an Alumni/Time Trial meet Aug. 30 in Schenley Park. According to Freeman, the exhibition event, in its first year, is a means of keeping alumni involved and of gauging the conditioning levels of Pitt’s current runners. It will be a short race, with the men running only 7K and the women 5K.

“To see them practice is one thing,” Webb said. “How they compete is totally different.”

Webb said that the women still appear to be a little better, overall, entering the season, but he’s excited about the men’s prospects.

Two years ago, the women placed seventh in the region. A number of players redshirted last season, and the women dropped to 10th in the Big East, but Freeman expects the squad will rebound this year.

“They have a great opportunity to have a special season,” Freeman said.

As far as Freeman can tell from watching the men run in training camp, he feels that they may be the best group of men’s distance runners Pitt has had since 1986-87.

Freeman credits Webb for focusing on recruiting the men who can live up to that team. He said that last year was the first time during his four years as Pitt’s cross country coach that the track and field coach made a major effort to recruit men’s distance runners.

Last year, Webb was named coach of the year in the Mid American Region. He is in his second season as head coach at Pitt after spending three years as a top assistant at Kent State.

Both coaches expect the freshmen to make an impact this season.

Pitt begins its competitive schedule with the Duquesne Quad Meet, in Schenley Park, on September 6.

The meet will feature Pitt, CMU, Robert Morris, and St. Francis in a match-up of area schools. St. Joseph’s may also attend.

Freeman expects his runners to do very well against the local competition.