The Carthage College women's cross country team opens its 2011 season at the Friday, Sept. 9 Aurora University “Spartan Classic” at the Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora, Ill., beginning at 5 p.m.
Head coach Stephanie Domin (853-471-1, 11 years) returns 13-of-21 letterwinners and four of her top-five runners from last year's team that finished sixth at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Cross Country Championship at the Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Ill., and 18th at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championship, also at the Saukie Golf Course.
Leading returnees include Katie Kummerer (So., Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale-Central, 23rd at the CCIW Women's Cross Country championship), Karin Wirth (Jr., Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains, 36th) Lauren Sible (Sr., Oregon, Ill./Byron, 41st) and Morgan Wiechmann (Sr., Sleepy Hollow, Ill./Carpentersville—Dundee-Crown, 43rd).
Middlebury College was ranked first in the pre-season U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, followed by Williams College second, Washington University (Mo.) third, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology fourth, Wisconsin-Eau Claire fifth, the State University of New York-Geneseo sixth, Amherst College seventh, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College eighth, New York University ninth and Nebraska Wesleyan University ranked 10th. Washington (Mo.) was ranked first in the pre-season Midwest Regional poll, followed by Wisconsin-Eau Claire second, Wisconsin-La Crosse third, Wisconsin-Stevens Point fourth, the University of Chicago fifth, Wisconsin-Platteville sixth, Wisconsin-Oshkosh seventh, CCIW-member North Central College eighth, St. Norbert College ninth and conference-member Illinois Wesleyan University ranked 10th.
