The University of Minnesota-Duluth men's and women's cross country teams will make their respective 2004 debuts Saturday (Sept. 11) by hosting the Campus Quest Dog Pound to Dog Pond Run. The women's 5K race begins at 10:30 a.m. and will be followed by the men's 8K event at 11:15 a.m. on the UMD campus. Both races will begin just west of Griggs Field near the shot put/discus throwing area.
THE TEAMS: Joining the Bulldogs in the 11-team women's field will be Northern Michigan University, which was been ranked among the top NCAA Division II schools each of the past three seasons, perennial NCAA III power the University of St. Thomas, Bethany Lutheran College, Concordia University-St. Paul, the College of St. Scholastica, Finlandia University, Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario) , Northland College, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Those same schools, with the exception of Northern Michigan, will take part in the men's competition.
THE RANKINGS: UMD is ranked seventh in the Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA II Preseason Men's Poll and holds down the No. 3 spot in the North Central Region. The Bulldog women were giving a No. 6 North Central Region ranking and weren't rated nationally.
THE COACH: A long-time collegiate cross country coaching veteran, John Fulkrod is beginning his 13th season with the UMD men's contingent and his 11th year as head coach of the women's team in 2002. Last fall. Fulkrod coached the Bulldog men to their second appearance ever -- and first since 1971 -- in the NCAA Division II Championships one month after they captured their 11th consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title. Fulkrod's Bulldogs have also laid claim to 10 straight NSIC women's crowns and qualified for their only NCAA national meet berth in 1994. Prior to joining the Bulldog staff, Fulkrod spent 20 years coaching at the now-defunct University of Minnesota-Crookston.
ABOUT THE 2004 BULLDOGS: UMD will look to the quartet of senior Erin Foss (Norwood, Minn.-Young America High School), juniors Kim Chapman (Winona, Minn.) and Kelsey Dahlgren (Circle Pines, Minn.-Centennial HS) and sophomore sensation Sara Frederickson (Elk River, Minn.) to shoulder a large share of the scoring load in 2004. In addition, the Bulldog women have plenty of depth (18 holdovers return from 2003) and a talent-rich battalion of rookies at their disposal, including Sarah Chapman (Apple Valley, Minn.), Steph Jares (Staples, Minn.), Jenna Pederson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Ashley Schmolke (Brainerd, Minn.)
NEW SURROUNDINGS: After basically ruling the NSIC cross country roost the past decade, UMD faces a new challenge in 2004 as the Bulldogs will hook up with the North Central Conference.
