The women’s cross country team features only two seniors.
After having success last season, the women’s cross country team has an optimistic outlook due to youth on the team.
Coming off a season where they placed 17th at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships, 25th at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Mid-Atlantic Regionals and 13th at the Atlantic Ten Conference Championships, the women’s cross country team enters this year with high expectations.
There are 22 women on the Owls’ roster this year, including only two seniors. Many of the team’s best runners are either freshmen or sophomores. The youth has not held the team back as freshman Jenna Dubrow is currently the team’s top runner.
“She’s definitely a good runner, [I’m] expecting good things from her this year,” coach Eric Mobley said of Dubrow.
Sophomore Stephanie Dorantes is another promising young runner who looks ready to have a big season. She said that she hopes to break her mark of 19:30 for her 5K time and that the team’s top five runners can all finish races within a minute of each other.
It’s not difficult to see the Owls’ goal for this season. The team hopes to qualify for A-10s and place higher than 13th this year.
“[We’re] looking for a better outcome,” Mobley said. “We’ve got some younger runners and some more experienced ones that will do well.”
The Owls’ competition this year will come against familiar rivals. They will face Penn State at the crucial Penn State National Invitational on Oct. 14. The Owls also race against Army and St. Johns at Van Courtland this year.
“This is by far our strongest and biggest team that Temple cross country has,” sophomore Taylor Goldsworthy said.
Dorantes agrees with her teammate’s assessment of the team, and said her encouragement for succeeding comes from a Steve Prefonataine quote, “The best pace is a suicide pace, today looks like a good day to die.”
James Reagan can be reached at james.reagan@temple.edu.
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