Women’s cross country to host lone meet this season

After a mediocre finish to last year’s season, the women’s cross country team has a chance to start well at its only home meet of the year.

CMU will host two opponents at the Jeff Drenth Memorial at 4 p.m. today in Mount Pleasant.

“It will be a good time for us to realize where we all our in our training,” said junior Danielle Dakroub. “It is a good meet to start off the season because it is a low key, non-scored (meet), and the fact that it is on our own home track is also a plus.”

The non-scoring meet will include Alma College and Michigan State University.

Dakroub is just one of seven returning juniors. The Chippewas also return two seniors in Sarah Squires and Emily Van Wasshenova. Squires will not be competing this weekend because of injury, and her status is on a week-to-week basis.

This class of juniors could be the focal point of the team, and is expected to help with the coaching transition, said assistant coach Matt Kaczor.

“We are upperclass-dominated and I am looking for the junior class and seniors to help with the development of our younger runners here,” Kaczor said. “Melissa Darling is looking really good right now and we are looking for her to help with the transition with us losing some runners to graduation.”

The Chippewas were picked to finish sixth this year in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll. Miami University was picked to win the MAC Championship for the second consecutive year.