Owls to Host 12th Annual KSC Invitational

KEENE, N.H. 09/27/06 - A small field won’t damper the enthusiasm of Owl runners as they get set to host the 12th Annual Keene State College Cross Country Invitational at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday. The gun for the men’s race goes off at 11 a.m. followed by the women’s competition at 11:45 a.m.

“I’m a little disappointed with the size of the fields,” said KSC Coach Peter Thomas. “The calendar worked against us. There’s a conflict with several big meets on the same day.”

Ranked ninth in New England, the KSC women will race against a field that includes Wheaton, Springfield, and Fitchburg State. The Owl men, ranked 13th in the region, will head to the starting line against teams from Tufts, Southern Maine, Wheaton and Fitchburg State.

Thomas expects both his teams to capture championship. “On paper we should win,” he said. “But they’re a couple of individuals on other teams that will make us race.”

Looking for their ninth KSC Invitational title, the Owl men will be led by a duo of Brock Welch and Kevin Kelleher. Welch, a sophomore from Merrimack, was the Owls’ top finisher at the Dartmouth and Bates Invitational.

“I’d like to see us become a respectable unit,” Thomas said. “I’m happy with their workouts, but it’s not carrying over to the races.”

The Owl women will be looking for their first KSC championship since 2003.

Jennifer Adams and Breanne Lucey should battle for individual honors. Competing in her first college cross country meet at Dartmouth, Lucey finished a strong second. Adams, an All-American, won the Bates Invitational.

It will be a busy day for Lucey. After competing at the Invitational, Lucey, a Keene native and two-time track national champion, will suit up for KSC’s women’s soccer game against rival Plymouth State in the afternoon.

“You don’t find too many athletes that can compete in two sports in one day,” said Thomas. “But she’s a machine who thrives on athletic challenges.”