FITCHBURG — The 2018 campaign for the Fitchburg State University women’s cross country team was a bit of a disappointment, but that frustration is in the past and the future looks bright.
With a strong recruiting class, which will comprise the majority of the roster, the Falcons look to get back to where they normally are in the MASCAC standings, and put the building blocks in place for the years ahead.
“The expectations are to be much, much stronger than we were last year,” Fitchburg State head coach Jamie Aubuchon said. “Last year a couple of injuries really plagued our season, and we’re looking for a huge improvement from last year’s squad.”
Fitchburg State typically finishes in the middle of the pack in the MASCAC standings, somewhere around third or fourth in the seven-team conference. Last year, at the conference championship, the Falcons finished sixth, ahead of only the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
It will be a clean slate in 2019, though, as only three runners from last year’s team return. There will be eight newcomers to the roster, with seven freshmen and one transfer student. Despite the lack of collegiate experience for most of the roster, it in no way signals a level of inexperience in the sport for the newbies.
“(The newcomers) are all veteran runners,” Aubuchon said. “They’re certainly not rookie runners. They all have several years of experience running, and one of them has collegiate running experience as she’s transferring from Northern Essex Community College.”
Fitchburg State is relying on its three returners to carry on the traditions of the program and help guide the large contingent of new talent. Juniors Melony Ellis and Krysta Grider, along with sophomore Regan Kelly, are helping to set the tone through early-season workouts in preparation for the regular-season slate.
“I think our three returners are doing a great job of showing some leadership right now during camp,” Aubuchon said. “We’re in our second week of camp and are having some great activities. I think we’re doing pretty well.”
Abby Murphy, a freshman and Quincy native, is taking a leadership position out of the new roster. Olivia Mullins is the junior college transfer from Northern Essex Community College, and has two years of eligibility left after a fantastic start to her career prior to joining Fitchburg State.
“Northern Essex Community College has a very, very small team,” Aubuchon said. “At the junior college level (Mullins) made the nationals. The standards are much lower (at the community college level than at the NCAA level), but they are still very impressive.”
Nicole Cofer and Lilah McAndrew are having excellent camps, and the same is true for Nicolette Kennedy. Erin Maida is a Connecticut transplant along with McAndrew. Breanna Anderson is showing progress, and Christine Nibitanga was a late arrival to camp but is starting to pick up steam.
“We’ve only been together for 10 days now,” Aubuchon said. “Our first meet is Saturday at Keene and that will determine our placement and who’s moving up and moving down. We have people with a lot of potential for moving up, and we’re taking it easy in camp to make sure we’re doing things to stay healthy.”
There will be more parity in the MASCAC this season, as last year’s champion, Worcester State University, graduated the majority of its roster. Until the season gets going it will be hard to tell the strength of the conference, but there will likely be opportunity for Fitchburg State to be in the mix.
“Worcester State lost about seven seniors,” Aubuchon said. “They will be greatly impacted unless they filled their roster in recruiting this year. I think there will be more parity. Westfield had dominated for a number of years, but they have been down a little bit.”
Aubuchon has been touting the new Landry Arena as a valuable recruiting tool, but says the school has had success in landing quality runners mostly from the academic side, and from offering the majors that students want to take. Some programs, like the nursing program, have become so competitive that it has cost the Falcons potential athletes who were no able to get in.
“It was a good recruiting year,” Aubuchon said. “Our numbers are up slightly, and up a lot for track. In general, I’m happy with the recruiting year, unfortunately we only have three coming back. But I’m happy about our season.”
Fitchburg State opens the season at Keene State College on Saturday before hosting its annual Jim Sheehan Memorial Invite at the Doyle Conservation Area in Leominster on Sept. 7. There will be 12-13 teams in attendance, including some perennial Division 3 powers. The pivotal MASCAC championship is set for Nov. 2.
“It’s nice to have a meet on a course that we have home-course advantage on,” Aubuchon said of the Sheehan meet. “We go out there and practice a couple times during camp, and it’s a break from having to travel two hours to the competition, and instead go just 10 minutes down the road.”
