Northwestern University Athletics
Q&A Season Preview with Coach Amy Tush
8/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Aug. 31, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Led by a core of upperclassmen, the Northwestern Cross Country team begins its season Saturday with the Wildcat Open. Head coach Amy Tush returns 16 members from her 2005 cross country squad including every runner who scored points in both the Pre-National Invitational and the Big Ten Championships.
The 'Cats will be lead by a duo of seniors in Mallory O'Niel (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Wylie E. Groves) and Casey Shea (Evergreen, Colo./Evergreen). O'Niel scored in four of six races last season and Shea, who did not race in 2005, is back for her senior season. In 2004, Shea helped the `Cats to a team title at the 5K Forester Invitational with a fifth-place overall finish.
Junior Marie Grabinski (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) is looking to build on a solid sophomore campaign. Grabinski finished third at the 5K Midwest Collegiate in 2005, helping the Wildcats to a first-place finish out of 19 teams. She ran in all six races last year and scored in five. The 'Cats also have two sophomores who are looking to pick up where they left off in their freshman seasons. Allison King (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) scored in all six races for the Wildcats in 2005 and Hilary Foreman (Prairie Village, Kan./Pembroke) was one of the 'Cats' most consistent runners last year.
The 2006 Wildcats are full of youth. Coach Tush welcomes nine freshmen to join 10 sophomores. Paulina Garcia (Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood) highlights the freshman class. Garcia placed first as a sophomore in the three-mile at the Illinois State Cross Country Finals with a record time of 16:48. As a member of the Elgin Sharks track club from 2001-04, Garcia led the team to a second-place finish at the 2003 AAU nationals in Kentucky and a third-place finish at the AAU nationals in Ohio.
Head coach Amy Tush took some time to chat with NUsports.com.
NUsports.com: Talk a little bit about what you are expecting from this 2006 squad.
Coach Tush: I am very excited about this year's team. We have some young talent returning with some experience under their belt. This will make us stronger. As long as we are healthy, we will surprise some teams this year.
NUsports.com: There are nine freshmen on this year's roster. Talk a little bit about them.
Coach Tush: I feel that our freshmen coming in will mesh well with the returning members. I have 12 new faces joining the team this year. Paulina Garcia has the experience and determination to do great things this year. Joining her will be another top Illinois runner, Britta Helwig (Chicago, Ill./Luther North), and the surprises will be Elana Rodman (Boston, Mass./Walt Whitman) and Elizabeth Boyle (Elmhurst, Ill./Fenwick). Others to watch this season will be Diana Burk (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac), April Schattner (Eagle River, Wis./Three Lakes), Elizabeth Hohl (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder), Carla Wirtschafter (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills), Jessica Danielson (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth), Glen Hajost (Ft. Collins, Colo./Poudre), Rachael Suffrin (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) and Kate Cline (Brecksville, Ohio/Broadview Heights).
NUsports.com: There are also many leaders returning this year. What are your expectations for your veterans?
Coach Tush: Celia Franklin (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) took a huge step last year in cross country as well as in her spring season. I will be depending on her for leadership on and off the course. Allison King also made huge strides during her freshman year. Marie Grabinski and Carly Brown had a few setbacks last season but both are healthy, strong and motivated for this season.
NUsports.com: Talk about the consistency of your seniors.
Coach Tush: That fifth spot is up for grabs. Among the contenders for that spot along with the freshmen are seniors Mallory O'Niel and Casey Shea. Mallory has always shown consistency and I don't expect any less in her senior year. Casey has had more consistency in training and will be back full force this fall.
NUsports.com: How are you looking to build on last season's results?
Coach Tush: It's so rewarding when you have a great year but it is even more valuable to learn from it and make the next even better. I feel that we are now ready to challenge that next level of competition. With the leadership of our sophomores and juniors and the experience of our senior class, we will all learn from each other's strengths and take that next step together.
