The Gustavus women’s cross country team returned to campus on Monday, August 24 to begin its pre-season workouts for the 2009 season. New Head Coach Dale Bahr welcomed 27 runners to campus. The team returns eight letterwinners from a year ago and will look to improve on its seventh place finish at the MIAC Championships. Leading the returners will be All-Conference and All-Region performer Brooke Beskau.
The Gusties will sport a youthful roster this season with only three seniors on the team. Leading the way for Gustavus will be Beskau, who placed ninth at the MIAC Championships, and was one of five Gusties to place within the top 58 at the conference meet. Joining Beskau will be letterwinners Danielle Burgmeier (45th), Megan Lundgren (49th), Vanessa Jones (50th), Kim Rostvold (58th), Kathy Westgren (Jr., Duluth, Minn.), and Erin Eppler (Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah).
Coach Bahr will work with this young group to help put the team back in the top four in the MIAC, after placing outside the top four last season for just the third time this decade. The Gusties will start the season in Ashland, Wisconsin on September 1, at 10:30am at the Northland Invite.