St. John's University Athletics
SEASON PREVIEW: 2015 St. John's Cross Country
9/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Sept. 11, 2015
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's cross country team kicks off its 2015 season this Saturday, Sept. 12 at the 21st annual Monmouth Invite in Holmdel, N.J. The women's 5K race is set to kick off at approximately 10:45 a.m. at Holmdel Park.
For the second year in a row, St. John's returns a roster of experienced competitors, including a handful of athletes on the cusp of outstanding seasons. In addition to the wealth of experience on the roster, St. John's adds six new faces that will provide some added depth to the team.
"We are looking forward to an improved cross country season as we return an experienced group of upperclassmen and a talented younger group of runners," said Head Coach Jim Hurt. "All-East runners Izzi Batt-Doyle and Stephanie Van Pelt should be among the top-10 runners of any meet on our schedule and Michelle Van Pelt, Melisa Hidalgo, Tiffany Evanego, Veronica Thompson, and newcomers Antonia Howard, Elizabeth Costantino, Kirsten Kaminski, Shannon Page and Bailey Brewer give us the depth to be a strong team to contend with."
Sophomore Izzi Batt-Doye looks to lead all Red Storm runners again this year. The Adelaide, Australia, native enjoyed a breakout freshman campaign in which she led Red Storm runners five times and recorded top-10 finishes in all three of the team's 5K races. Batt-Doyle capped off her breakout season by finishing fourth at the ECAC Championships with a career best-time of 18:21.6.
While Batt-Doyle enjoyed a breakout 2015 campaign, she was not the only Red Storm runner who saw success last season. This year's senior class of Kerri Butler, Tiffany Evanego, Veronica Thompson, and twin sisters Michelle and Stephanie Van Pelt also provided some highlight performances for the Red Storm.
Senior S. Van Pelt finished first or second among St. John's runners in every single race last season including two top-10 finishes at the SJU-Hofstra Fall XC Festival and the Metropolitan Championships. S. Van Pelt also completed a career-best 6K time of 22:17.90 at the NCAA Northeast Regional in which she finished second among St. John's runners.
Thompson ran a career-best time of 25:08.9 for 6K at the BIG EAST championships to finish 78th overall and fifth among all St. John's runners. Butler was the third St. John's runner to cross the finish line at the BIG EAST Championships with a time of 24:06.0 to take 73rd overall. She also finished third among all St. John's runners at the NCAA Northeast Regional posting a time of 23:29.20 in the 6K. Evanego set new career-best times in both the 5K and 6K including a 78th place finish at the Metropolitan Championships. M. Van Pelt recorded top-100 finishes in all three of the Red Storm's 5K races last season and ran a career-best time of 24:05.81 in 6K at the NCAA Northeast Regional last year.
Sophomores Melissa Hidalgo and Marlow Schulz, join Batt-Doyle in what has the potential to be very strong sophomore class. Hidalgo recorded personal best times in two of the biggest meets of the season last year, the ECAC Championships and the BIG EAST Championships.
Coach Hurt's 2015 roster also boasts a talented group of six incoming freshman including Bailey Brewer, Elizabeth Constatino, Antonia Howard, Kirsten Kaminski, Torisha LaForce and Shannon Page. Brewer, a native of Bradford, Ohio, was All-Conference in cross country for her junior and senior years and holds several school-records. Howard, who hails from Sydney, Australia, comes to St. John's after a decorated high school cross country career. Howard finished second in the U18 New South Wales Junior 3K Championships and fifth in the U18 Australian 3K Championships this past year.
Additionally a number of St. John's track & field athletes will compete in a modified cross country season in preparation for indoor and outdoor track, including graduate student Claire Mooney, who red shirted last season, seniors Pariis Garcia and Raquel Ricketts, juniors Christine Oguledo and Tiffany Perrier, and sophomore Jasmine Burkett. Incoming freshman LaForce, a sprinter and mid-distance runner, joins this group of modified cross country runners.
"This week's Monmouth Invitational will kick off our 2015 season and give us a first look at what our team can accomplish this season," said Hurt. "I know everyone is a little bit nervous for the first meet but that's why you run the first meet, to get over the early season jitters. I think our team will do fine and we will know much more about them after the race is over. I am excited to see our team in action."
Keep up to date on all St. John's cross country news by following on Twitter @StJohnsXCTF and by using the hashtag #stjohnsxc. To be added to the St. John's women's cross country fans e-mail list send a message to Adam.mcKillop15@stjohns.edu with the subject: "St. John's women's XC e-mail."
- 2015 Cross Country Schedule
- ICYMI: Head Coach Jim Hurt breaks down the 2015 Schedule
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's cross country team kicks off its 2015 season this Saturday, Sept. 12 at the 21st annual Monmouth Invite in Holmdel, N.J. The women's 5K race is set to kick off at approximately 10:45 a.m. at Holmdel Park.
For the second year in a row, St. John's returns a roster of experienced competitors, including a handful of athletes on the cusp of outstanding seasons. In addition to the wealth of experience on the roster, St. John's adds six new faces that will provide some added depth to the team.
"We are looking forward to an improved cross country season as we return an experienced group of upperclassmen and a talented younger group of runners," said Head Coach Jim Hurt. "All-East runners Izzi Batt-Doyle and Stephanie Van Pelt should be among the top-10 runners of any meet on our schedule and Michelle Van Pelt, Melisa Hidalgo, Tiffany Evanego, Veronica Thompson, and newcomers Antonia Howard, Elizabeth Costantino, Kirsten Kaminski, Shannon Page and Bailey Brewer give us the depth to be a strong team to contend with."
Sophomore Izzi Batt-Doye looks to lead all Red Storm runners again this year. The Adelaide, Australia, native enjoyed a breakout freshman campaign in which she led Red Storm runners five times and recorded top-10 finishes in all three of the team's 5K races. Batt-Doyle capped off her breakout season by finishing fourth at the ECAC Championships with a career best-time of 18:21.6.
While Batt-Doyle enjoyed a breakout 2015 campaign, she was not the only Red Storm runner who saw success last season. This year's senior class of Kerri Butler, Tiffany Evanego, Veronica Thompson, and twin sisters Michelle and Stephanie Van Pelt also provided some highlight performances for the Red Storm.
Senior S. Van Pelt finished first or second among St. John's runners in every single race last season including two top-10 finishes at the SJU-Hofstra Fall XC Festival and the Metropolitan Championships. S. Van Pelt also completed a career-best 6K time of 22:17.90 at the NCAA Northeast Regional in which she finished second among St. John's runners.
Thompson ran a career-best time of 25:08.9 for 6K at the BIG EAST championships to finish 78th overall and fifth among all St. John's runners. Butler was the third St. John's runner to cross the finish line at the BIG EAST Championships with a time of 24:06.0 to take 73rd overall. She also finished third among all St. John's runners at the NCAA Northeast Regional posting a time of 23:29.20 in the 6K. Evanego set new career-best times in both the 5K and 6K including a 78th place finish at the Metropolitan Championships. M. Van Pelt recorded top-100 finishes in all three of the Red Storm's 5K races last season and ran a career-best time of 24:05.81 in 6K at the NCAA Northeast Regional last year.
Sophomores Melissa Hidalgo and Marlow Schulz, join Batt-Doyle in what has the potential to be very strong sophomore class. Hidalgo recorded personal best times in two of the biggest meets of the season last year, the ECAC Championships and the BIG EAST Championships.
Coach Hurt's 2015 roster also boasts a talented group of six incoming freshman including Bailey Brewer, Elizabeth Constatino, Antonia Howard, Kirsten Kaminski, Torisha LaForce and Shannon Page. Brewer, a native of Bradford, Ohio, was All-Conference in cross country for her junior and senior years and holds several school-records. Howard, who hails from Sydney, Australia, comes to St. John's after a decorated high school cross country career. Howard finished second in the U18 New South Wales Junior 3K Championships and fifth in the U18 Australian 3K Championships this past year.
Additionally a number of St. John's track & field athletes will compete in a modified cross country season in preparation for indoor and outdoor track, including graduate student Claire Mooney, who red shirted last season, seniors Pariis Garcia and Raquel Ricketts, juniors Christine Oguledo and Tiffany Perrier, and sophomore Jasmine Burkett. Incoming freshman LaForce, a sprinter and mid-distance runner, joins this group of modified cross country runners.
"This week's Monmouth Invitational will kick off our 2015 season and give us a first look at what our team can accomplish this season," said Hurt. "I know everyone is a little bit nervous for the first meet but that's why you run the first meet, to get over the early season jitters. I think our team will do fine and we will know much more about them after the race is over. I am excited to see our team in action."
Keep up to date on all St. John's cross country news by following on Twitter @StJohnsXCTF and by using the hashtag #stjohnsxc. To be added to the St. John's women's cross country fans e-mail list send a message to Adam.mcKillop15@stjohns.edu with the subject: "St. John's women's XC e-mail."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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