Millersville women's cross country set for PSAC Championship

Saturday, October 26

Kutztown, PA

11:15 AM

Millersville University

PSAC Championship

Millersville women's cross country set for PSAC Championship

10/24/2024 3:00:00 PM | Women's Cross Country

By: Ethan Hulsey, Director of Athletic Communications

KUTZTOWN, Pa. - With two returning All-PSAC runners and coming off their best finish in 13 years, the Millersville women's cross country team has their sites set on a top-five finish Saturday in Kutztown.

Millersville placed sixth in 2023, which was a seven-spot improvement from the previous season. Morgan Janiuk (10th) and Hannah Sweda (23rd) gave Millersville two All-PSAC finishers for the first time since 2014. The Marauders were voted No. 5 in the coaches' preseason poll, and expectations remain high heading into Saturday's championship race.

The race begins and ends at the Kutztown Rugby Field at 11 a.m.

PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
Site: North Campus Farm Loop Course, Kutztown, Pa.
Event Coverage: Live Results | Live Stream
Millersville's best PSAC Championships finish: 2nd (1989, 1992, 1994)
Millersville's Individual Winners: Kellie Boozer (1990), Joe Rupp (1995)

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
Millersville has been ranked No. 8 in the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region rankings the last three weeks--sixth among PSAC programs. The Marauders have been judicious with their training and competition schedule this season, aiming to be at peak performance for the PSAC Championship and the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship. The Marauders competed against nine other PSAC teams at the Kutztown DII/DIII Challenge on Sept. 13 and finished behind Shippensburg, Kutztown, Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and East Stroudsburg. Morgan Janiuk and Bri Pollock tied for 21st with a time of 24:51.7. The duo has paced Millersville most of the season.

Emilea Alleman, Olivia Sunderland and Breia Mayes rounded on Millersville's top five at the Kutztown meet. The following week, Millersville was the top PSAC finisher at the Lock Haven Invitational, finishing ahead of Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Clarion, Seton Hill and Mansfield. Janiuk ran a 21:57.9 for 14th place. Pollock placed 40th followed by Emily Massage, Sweda and Sunderland.

Millersville's last meet run at full strength was the Paul Short Invitational on Oct. 5. Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg and Kutztown edged Millersville in that meet. Janiuk was the No. 4 runner from the PSAC, running a time of 22:36.2. She was followed by Pollock, Massage, Sweda, and Sunderland once again.

Pollock placed 38th as Millersville's No. 4 runner at last season's PSAC Championship. Sunderland was the No. 5 finisher in 44th. Bella Musgrove placed 70th with Abby Bond in 84th, Emma Armstrong in 95th and Breia Mayes in 96th.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
Slippery Rock ended Edinboro's four-year reign at the top in 2023. Slippery Rock has alternated with Davis & Elkins for the top spot in the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region rankings throughout the regular season. Edinboro enters this week third, followed by Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg and Kutztown. Bloomsburg finished second at the PSAC Championship in 2023. Kutztown appears to be the most improved team in the field after placing ninth last season.

The top returning runner in the field is Slippery Rock's Anna Igims, who placed third in 2023. Slippery Rock's Ruthie Hughes, Bloomsburg's Kelley Selheimer, California's Madeline Curtis, and Shippensburg's Livi Rieck join Janiuk as returning top-10 finishers.