UMBC

Junior captain Anthony Kelhower will look to improve on his fourth place individual finish and 2-2 team record as the Retrievers compete at the Mount St. Mary's Dual 5K's on Friday.

BALTIMORE—The UMBC men’s and women’s cross country teams kick-off the 2007 season today at the Mount St. Mary’s Dual 5K’s in Emmitsburg, Md.

With new head coach Tim Walker at the helm and the loss of 10 letterwinners from the 2006 season, the Retriever men’s squad put a much different team on the course.  The Retrievers returned only three athletes from the 2006 season, but have added a talented group of four freshmen.  Newcomers Chris Bowie, Michael Christmas, Chris Snyder, and Paul Zwama complete the small, but very strong, seven-man squad that will look to improve on the 2-2 record from the Mount St. Mary’s Duals in 2006.

At that meet, captain Anthony Kelhower led the Retrievers, placing fourth overall with a time of 16:18.4 for the 5K.  Andrew Madison and Josh Okoniewski, the other two returning runners, placed 14^th and 21^st in times of 16:47.8 and 17:13.3, respectively.

The women’s team is just as small as the men’s team, but much more experienced, as they return six athletes from the 2006 season.  The 2007 season will also be the debut for 2006 mid-year transfer, Alex Hyland, who competed in the track portion of the 2006-2007 season, and Cortney Crouse, the Retrievers’ only freshman.  At the Mount St. Mary’s meet last season, Suzanne Gabriel led the Retrievers across the line, finishing fourth in a 5K time of 19:58.3.  This year the Retrievers will look to improve on their 3-1 record from the dual meet last year in which they fell to American University, 23-32.