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Up the road. A couple of cross country teams with relatively bright prospects will begin their season in earnest Saturday (Sept. 9) as Seattle Pacific University makes its annual debut at the Emerald City Invitational in nearby Lower Woodland Park, and some selected individuals go to the Chico State Invitational. The Falcons, who feature the 25th-ranked women’s team in the NCAA Division II preseason poll, will be joined at the Emerald City by Central Washington, Western Washington and host Seattle University for events covering 5000 and 8000 meters. Next week, SPU remains in town for the Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park.

Destination: Florida. This marks the first of eight meets, with the season hopefully culminating with a ninth race–the NCAA Championships. This year’s national meet will be part of the inaugural Fall Sports Festival, Nov. 16-18 in Pensacola, Florida. Coach Doris Heritage has got some of the necessary ingredients to get there. The men seek to return after qualifying in 2004, while the women are determined to end an eight-year drought. Both squads barely missed making the cut a year ago. Following a Great Northwest Athletic Conference title, the women placed fourth in the West Regional and the men were fifth.

Looking for an ace. Typically, a national-caliber cross country team possesses at least one ace, a consistent frontrunner capable of running among the top harriers in the region. It remains to be seen if Heritage has such a commodity. However, she does have the potential to produce one. Mary Moriarty (So., Seattle, Wa./Ballard) was the GNAC freshman of the year and a national qualifier in the 3000 during the track season. Gone are four of last year’s top seven, most notably GNAC runner-up Meredith Crane, winner of three meets. For the males who return all of their top scorers, there are several candidates, including team MVP Carlo Lozano (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Blanchet), if he can shake injuries.

Up there. Seattle Pacific has been ranked No. 25 in the coaches women’s preseason poll. Perennial championship contender Adams State of Colorado was No. 1 for both the men and women. The Grizzlies are three-time defending women’s national champions. Regionally, SPU sits No. 4 among women’s teams, behind UC San Diego, Chico State and GNAC challenger Alaska Anchorage. Meanwhile, the Falcon men are No. 5, with Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona, Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington holding the top four spots in the West.

Experience counts. Five members of the ‘04 national-qualifying men’s team give SPU some invaluable experience. Bjorn Bostrom (Sr., La Conner, Wa./Bellingham), Doug Gibson (Sr., Yakima, Wa./Riverside Christian), Brian Cronrath (Jr., Battle Ground, Wa.), James Rosser (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Highline) and Eddie Strickler (Sr., Richland, Wa.) combined with Lozano and Mike Zetterberg (So., Tacoma, Wa./Curtis) to form last season’s top seven. Gibson grew to be a strong steeplechaser in the spring and Strickler won the GNAC 800. Lozano has been nagged by an Achilles injury, limiting his training. The top recruit is Chad Meis (Fr., Renton, Wa./Seattle Christian), fourth in both the state 1A cross country and 1600 championships.

Top scorers to return. It remains to been seen whether the women feature someone who can fill the spikes of Crane, but there is certainly quality and depth. Moriarty and Karin Rohde (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Mount Baker) were GNAC champions in the 3000 and steeple last spring and will likely push one another for team top scorer. Also back from last year’s first seven are Suzie Strickler (So., Richland, Wa.) and Kim Beaman (So., Emily, Mn./Crosley Ironton). Heritage also added some impressive recruits. Jessica Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) claimed the state 4A 800 and was runner-up in the 1600, while Jane Larson (Fr., Fall City, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) swept the 1A titles in the 800, 1600 and 3200. Pixler will also play soccer in the fall.

Coaching Staff. Coach Doris Heritage (29th year) has guided the SPU women to 10 top-10 national finishes and conference titles in seven of the last 11 years. The men won the ‘04 crown. In 1996 the Falcons won the West Region and her teams finished as high as second in the AIAW (1979, ‘80) and third in the NCAA (1983, ‘86) championships. Twenty harriers have been All-America, including two national champions. The world’s premier distance runner of the Sixties, she won five consecutive world cross country titles from 1967-71, and was a member of the 1968 and ‘72 U.S. Olympic teams. Former SPU runner Erika Daligcon and physics professor Lane Seeley are the assistant coaches.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.