The women’s cross country team is off to a great start after winning two of its first three meets of the year.

The team is making a strong return after winning the Conference USA [C-USA] Championship last year.

The team took victories in both the University of Texas Arlington [UTA] season opener and the Ken Garland Invite at the University of North Texas [UNT] after placing second at the Baylor Invitational in Waco.

Freshman Karoline Skatteboe led the team in the first two meets at Baylor and UTA. She received C-USA Athlete of the Week for her first place finish at Baylor.

Another freshman, Ashlee Powers, led the team to the win at UNT with a personal record of 17:03 in her first collegiate 5k.
“Ashlee [Skatteboe] trained hard this summer and it is really showing how strong she is in her races,” coach Cathryn Casey said.

Skatteboe placed 18th in the 3000-meter at the World Junior Championships this summer.

Skatteboe, Shanoah Souza and Caitlin Keen also ran personal records at UTA and UNT. SMU held five of the top 10 spots in the last two meets also.

“Souza was one of the best 3200-meter runners in the country in high school and looks to make a big impact for the team during her freshman year,” Casey said.

The team has worked hard all summer, training individually in preparation for this season.

“Keen came back this fall in excellent shape,” Casey said. “She is focused and determined and looks to be a real contributor for us this season.”

This upcoming campaign shows remarkable promise even though the ladies will have to cope with the graduation of the phenomenal Silje Fjortoft, who led the Mustangs last year.

With her departure, the Mustangs have taken to a “pack” style of racing, wherein the team runs in close proximity to one another in order to provide an emotional and physical boost.

The young team, which consists of five new runners and six veterans, faces stiff competition from the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University [TCU] as well as other regional rivals, such as Baylor, UTA, and UNT.

The toughest competition in the region will come from TCU, who has a both a solid team and a star runner with Fjortoft-like qualities.

The schedule will pick up in the following weeks as the Mustangs depart on a tour of America that includes a stop at the Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 27.

“These first few meets are just to see where we are and what we need to work on,” Casey said. “The main part of the season begins when we travel to Notre Dame next weekend to compete against some of the nation’s best teams.”

The fall schedule also includes the Oct. 12 Chili Pepper Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., the C-USA Championships in Mississippi on Oct. 27, and the NCAA Regionals on Nov. 8, which are also in Fayetteville, Ark. this year.

Should the Lady Mustangs place well enough, the team will meet the toughest competition in cross country at the NCAA Championship on Nov. 15 in Kentucky.

The women’s cross country team looks forward to reaping the fruits of its hard work this season.

“We don’t take time off,” sophomore Kaitlyn Thomas said “We train all year, so this means a lot to us.”

Thomas’ coach shares her enthusiasm.

“I feel this young team is one of the best we have had,” Casey said. “They may be young, but they aren’t afraid to compete hard and give everything they have for the team.”