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In 2001, Julie Dutton '04 (Londonderry, N.H.) led the Bobcats in each meet. Dutton earned All-State honors and ran a personal best time of 18:34 at the state meet. Kelley Puglisi '03 (Scotia, N.Y.) finished second in every meet and recorded a lifetime best of 19:03 at the NCAA regional qualifying meet. Beth Pagnotta '04 (Hooksett, N.H.), Jessie Gagne-Hall '04 (Manchester, N.H.) and Katherine Creswell '05 (Portland, Ore.) were consistent in third through fifth positions. Rebecca Hakala '02 (Sanford, Maine), Lauren Shoff '04 (Metamora, Ill.), Elizabeth Wallace '03 (Winthop, Mass.) and Penny Christo '05 (Forestdale, Mass.) also scored among the top seven during the season.
In preseason, the team's 30 members took part in a ropes course challenge and an overnight trip to the Maine coast. The bonding helped Bates win the Smith Invitational, opening its season with a victory for the second year in a row. The Bobcats were fifth of 27 teams at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational, ninth of 19 teams at the Codfish Bowl Invitational and third of 10 teams at the State of Maine Championship. At the NCAA regionals, Bates improved three places over 2000, from 16th to 13th, after finishing 10th at the NESCAC championships. With the completion of the Russell Street Track in 2001, Bates now has a valuable outdoor training facility on campus.
2002 Outlook
Graduating only one senior from 2001's top seven, Bates is expected to build on the successes of last year and reclaim a position among the top 10 teams in New England. Several cross country athletes had successful indoor and outdoor track seasons. Kelley Puglisi set a school record for in the 1,500-meters (4:37.92), earning All-America honors in the process, while Julie Dutton set a school record for the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:37.38). Beth Pagnotta, Katherine Creswell and Penny Christo recorded personal records in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs. Four top runners return to the lineup after either spending a year abroad or recovering from injury: Elizabeth Wallace '03, Leigh Johnson '03, Leah Drew '03 and junior Elizabeth Jackson '04. All are expected to challenge for a top seven position. Several members of the Class of 2006 are expected to challenge the upperclassmen for a scoring position.
Program History
The success of the team has been consistent since the inception of the program in 1979. In the past six years, the Bates women have made two appearances at the NCAA national championships, in 1995 and 1997, and are often ranked among the top 10 teams in New England. In 1993, the Bobcats were ECAC team champions. The coaching staff emphasizes both cross training and strength training early in the season. With that foundation, Bates teams are well-known for improving throughout the season, peaking at the right time for outstanding performances at championship meets. The program is respected for developing novice runners, and several athletes with no prior cross country experience have made significant contributions at the regional and national level. Most athletes continue to run competitively after graduation. Community service is also a tradition with the program.
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 Carolyn Court, who also serves as women's track and field coach, was an All-American in the 800-meter run at Southern Connecticut State University and was inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. She earned her master's degree at Penn State and came to Bates in 1979. Since then, Court has become one of the most respected Division III coaches in the country, having sent 44 athletes to national championships with 12 earning All-America honors. In 1995, she was the New England Division III women's cross country Coach of the Year. She was a member of the NCAA Track and Field Rules Committee and served on the coaching staff for both the 1993 USA World Cup Track and Field Team and the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. She worked as an intern in the USA Track & Field Office and has helped administer the NCAA Division I cross country and indoor track championships. She is also active in youth track and field programs in the Lewiston-Auburn community.(ccourt@bates.edu) |
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