Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Princeton Women's Cross Country Looks to Continue Recent Success in 2006
August 30, 2006 | Women's Cross Country
A new culture within the Princeton women's cross country team has been emerging over the last few years. The Tigers consistently are attracting runners who are competitive, who want to be a part of a nationally ranked team and who are looking to preserve a culture that has Princeton enjoying its greatest era in two decades. With three straight Top-20 rankings, class after class has lived up to climbing expectations.
Princeton, which finished 11th nationally last year, opens the 2006 season with its eyes on winning the program's fourth Heptagonals Championship, repeating as champion at NCAA Mid-Atlantic regionals and finishing in the Top 10 at the NCAA championships. With strong and balanced leadership and a wealth of emerging talent, the Tigers are poised to meet their own lofty goals.
The culture change was well in swing three years ago with the arrival of the Class of 2007. It remains one of the deepest and most talented classes in program history, and It is being counted on to continue building the culture of excellence that has developed through their careers.
Catha Mullen is the leading returning runner for the Tigers. Out of the shadow of six-time All-America Cack Ferrell, who graduated in June, Mullen gives Princeton a proven competitor with Top-10 ambitions for every race this fall. The lone captain for the Tigers, Mullen was a picture of consistency last year. After being the Tigers' top finisher in their season-opening race last year, she was their second finisher in every other varsity race behind Ferrell. She is looking to move into the top five at Heptagonals and regionals while leading a Tiger team that figures to be more evenly matched up front without Ferrell.
Consistency also counts for Mia Swenson, one of the steadiest performers on the team. She has been a varsity contributor since her freshman year and was a consistent No. 3 finisher for Princeton last year. A two-time second-team All-Ivy performer, she hopes to cap her career as a first-team All-Ivy finisher. She has returned to campus in excellent condition after a dedicated summer of training.
Among others pushing Mullen will be her twin sister, Caroline, who is coming off her best year in the Orange & Black. Caroline broke into the varsity lineup in time to be the Tigers' fifth finisher at Heptagonals in 2005. She enjoyed similar success during the track seasons and comes off another phenomenal summer that has her positioned to climb further for the Tigers.
Rachel Farnsworth, Claire Filloux and Jen Johnson round out a spectacular class as three runners who have all proven they can contribute at the varsity level. Farnsworth comes off her best track season and will compete for a top seven spot in cross country. Filloux has been able to score for the Tigers in season's past, and the strong distance runner returns refreshed for her favorite season. Johnson, too, has been a top seven runner for the Tigers and hopes to show the form that made her Princeton's fifth finisher at the Pre-Nationals Invitational last fall.
Princeton also boasts a powerful junior group led by Heather Iatauro, Katie Gose and Caitlin McTague. All three of them have contributed throughout their careers. Injuries have hampered both Iatauro and McTague, but both return to campus fit and ready to contribute. The development of those two could hold the key to maintaining the Tigers' high finishes. Last year, Gose came on strong to compete for the Tigers at Heptagonals, NCAA regionals and the NCAA championships.
She looks to continue to climb in her third year. Iatauro has shown plenty of potential on the track and has been a top five finisher for the cross country team in past seasons. McTague was part of the seventh-place Pre-Nationals team and could parlay that experience into greater opportunities this fall.
Jolee van Leuven is one of the top returning sophomores in the country. She was a Top 15 finisher in her first Heptagonals, moved up to 12th at the NCAA regionals and was the Tigers' fourth finisher at the NCAA championships to cap a terrific freshman fall. She built on her success during an eye-opening track campaign and should make an even greater impact this year. Classmate Amanda Smith also appeared in several races for the Tigers last year and could emerge further.
To the returning group, the Tigers add eight freshmen that could rival the current seniors for the top class in the last decade. Liz Costello could be this year's van Leuven. She won the Pennsylvania cross country championship and was a Foot Locker finalist and is one of five incoming freshmen who has broken the five-minute mark in the mile. Maryland's Christy Johnson, New York standout Amanda Hudson, Michigan's Alexa Glencer and New Jersey's Lisa Burkholder are the other four. Any of them could emerge as a contributor in their first year and strengthen the Tigers. Reilly Kiernan, a steeplechaser from New York, also has the potential to bolster the cross country team.
Finding the seven women will contend for the Heptagonals crown Oct. 27 at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City will be the challenge through the early portion of the season. The Tigers know there is stiff competition for the coveted spots. The rigorous in-team competition will pan out for Princeton when it gets into the heart of its season. The Ivy League is a more open race this year. Cornell and Yale return solid cores and expect to challenge Columbia and Princeton, who have dominated Heptagonals in the last three years. In the district, the trio of Georgetown, La Salle and Villanova will be the main challengers to the Tigers as Princeton looks to defend its 2005 title. Defending that title is the Tigers' first chance to return to nationals, where they look to strengthen their standing.
With plenty of depth returning and a strong contingent of freshmen to raise competition among the team further, Princeton figures to again be one of the nation's top teams. How high the Tigers rise will be determined by the health of the team, the ability to adapt by freshmen and the emergence of past contributors and their contributions to a solid returning nucleus. Princeton doesn't view its high expectations as pressure inducing, but rather as a sign of a successful culture entrenched within the program.