George Washington University Athletics
2003 Cross Country Outlook
8/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Aug. 25, 2003
The 2003 edition of The George Washington University Men's and Women's Cross Country teams will be made up of a strong group of returnees and an incoming class that will be expected to produce right away. The men's team will return its top two runners from 2002, while the women will return their MVP along with six other contributors. Head coach Deb Cane expects to see the kind of improvement and competitiveness out of this team that will result in a jump at the Atlantic 10 Championships.
Seniors Darrell Andruski, Dave Azari and Giannis Doulamis will take the leadership role on the men's team. The team finished fifth at the Atlantic 10 Championships last season and Cane expects the team to do even better this year with the addition of three standout freshmen.
Andruski, the 2002 MVP, Atlantic 10 All-Conference and Academic All-Conference performer, posted the fastest time ever by a GW runner at the Atlantic 10 Championships last season and Cane expects him to be one of the top runners in the league. Azari, also an Academic All-Conference team member, has made unparalleled progress over the past year and will be expected to play a major role for the men's team in the fall. Doulamis was named co-captain for the 2003 season along with Azari due to his work ethic and ability to lead. Cane thinks he will be an important factor in the team's success by working with his younger teammates and getting them acclimated to collegiate level competition.
The additions of freshmen Ian Hajek, Daniel Morgan and Ryan Shaver to this already strong group should have the men's team competing with the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10.
The women will be looking to improve on their ninth-place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships last season. The 2003 squad will be led by last year's MVP, Lindsay Blum, who was GW's top finisher in every race last season. Cane expects Blum to be pushed by senior Emily Jadwin who has managed to slice more than a minute and a half off of her 5K time.
Cane will look for major contributions from a group of five returnees which includes Trina Bolton, Meghan Dunn, Mary Beth McCullough, Erin Patton and Olivia Schramm. According to Cane, each has the ability to become a factor in the fall season, and the competition between them should produce lower times. They should receive some help from incoming freshman Bridget Skeuse.
Cane feels that the depth in the women's team is a real positive and should bring the best out in each runner. As a result, she expects the women's team to improve on last season and become a contender at the Atlantic 10 Championships.
