There are some mighty big shoes to fill for this year's cross-country women. St. Olaf's women's cross country program was ranked fourth nationally after their great showing at Nationals last fall.

Also, St. Olaf ranks fourth all-time for appearances at the National Meet. It's tough for any team to repeat a performance like that. Thankfully, this talented group of women is up for the challenge.

Coach Chris Daymont has 53 women on the roster this year, and is quite pleased with the high participation. Among these runners are the triumvirate of senior captains: Sara Daymont, Katie Milbrett, and Anne Sateren. As if this leadership wasn't enough, assistant coaches Dick Daymont, David Wee, Jenna Boren, and Karyn Lien all offer a lot of help and encouragement, and are a vital part of the team.

Female Oles' cross country has started the season off incredibly well. Their first meet was at Duluth. They finished second only to University of Northern Michigan. Their second, and most recent meet, was the St. Olaf Invite, held right here on campus on Saturday, Sept. 16.

The fan attendance was great for this exciting meet, the weather was perfect, and to top it off, it was Parent's Day. The race concluded in exciting fashion, when a one-point difference gave the win to the Oles over UW-Stevens Point. This past week they were ranked fifth in the nation, picking up right where they left off last season.

When asked for comment on the St. Olaf Invite, Coach Daymont felt that her team had a good meet. She was very glad that the biggest mistakes were, as she put it "mistakes of enthusiasm," such as runners not pacing themselves properly. "Those are the best kind of mistakes to have," she said.

Even the runners toward the back of the pack for St. Olaf all had strong finishes, which is encouraging as well.

Megan Daymont is the front-runner for the Oles this year. As a sophomore, she is already an All-Conference and All-Region runner, with a strong shot to be an All-American this year. Also leading the pack are Sateren and Milbrett, a 5th year. The freshmen are working hard and coming right along, led by Marit Grorud.

No matter what the women's cross-country team may be ranked, they always plan on having fun and working hard. The big key for the teamwork and success of this group is the fact that everyone is looking out for each other, and that every last runner plays an important role on the team. Sateren cites that one of the great qualities of St. Olaf cross country is how much fun the runners have spending time together.

Next up for the Oles is a large meet at the University of Minnesota. Over 500 runners are expected to compete, which can make things slightly confusing. Among the teams at this meet will be St. Olaf's biggest cross country rivals: Luther, Wartburg, and St. Thomas, all of whom the Oles will face again at the Regional Meet.

All told, the women's cross-country team has another outstanding opportunity to go a long way with their running ability. Hopefully, that ability will carry them to the National Meet in Spokane, WA. But no matter the success of this year's team, it's certain that each and every runner will have a blast along the way.