Women's Cross Country 08-09

The Big Red women's cross country team returns five of their top-seven runners from a season ago and will be looking to improve upon their fifth-place North Coast Athletic Conference finish in 2007.

Leading the way for Denison will be junior Kelsey Pence (Columbus, Ind./North) who was a second-team All-NCAC selection after finishing ninth overall at the conference championship.  She went on to place 48th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, the second-best finish by a Denison runner at that meet.

Returning with Pence is junior Kelly McCallin (Canton, Ohio/St. Thomas Aquinas) who helped DU to a 9th place finish at the 30-team NCAA Regional thanks to her time of 25:39.  Sophomores Kirby Mosenthal (Briarcliff, N.Y./Irvington), Katie Navarre (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and Ashley Putnam (North East, Pa./North East) are also back following strong rookie seasons in 2007.  Mosenthal posted a time of 23:41 at the NCAA Regional to place 61st out of more than 200 runners.  Navarre and Putnam both competed in all eight events for the Big Red last year.

Also returning in 2008 are seniors Kat Lenhart (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) and Kathryn McDonnell (Beverly Hills, Mich./Marian) along with juniors Holly Christian (Crestwood, Ky./South Oldham) and Natalie Gross (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline).  Sophomores Julie Rotramel (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) and Grace Kaminski (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) round out the roster along with first-year's Ani Mutafova (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) and Victoria Pottieger (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing).

In the annual preseason coaches poll the Big Red was picked in a tie for fifth place with Wittenberg University.  Both teams totaled 39 points in the voting process.  Allegheny College was picked to win the conference with 72 points while Kenyon was picked second followed by Oberlin and Ohio Wesleyan.

Denison will kick off their season on Sept. 5 when they host the annual Denison Fall Festival at Bryn Du Mansion in Granville.