The Rock women’s cross country team has been training all season and will be competing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Complex (PSAC) Championships Saturday. For many of the girls, this is their last race and what they have been training for since August.
Regardless of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) strike, the race will take place, according to the Slippery Rock athletics department. All state-system universities are competing in the race, as well as Gannon, Mercyhurst, Pitt-Johnston and Seton Hill, all the schools that make up the PSAC.
The girls have had their ups and downs this season but hope to place in the top half of teams at the race held in Kutztown.
“We are currently ranked eighth and I see the girls placing around fifth, give or take one or two spots,” SRU head coach John Papa said.
There will be 18 teams competing, with 12 girls from each team allowed to compete.
The twelve girls running for the Rock will be Makaila Banka, Matti Dunham, Courtney Group, Kaylee Haberkam, Caitlyn Janeda, Emily Johnson, April Miller, Sabrina Palmieri, Katie Proffitt, Melissa Rains, Alexis Swiergol and Lindsee Zimmer.
Papa said “We are having an easy week (to prepare). We are going to Kutztown early Friday morning so that we can practice on their course. I just hope to see them all be the best runner they can be and be significantly better than they were in the beginning of the season.”
