CLARION – A young Clarion University women's cross country team will hit the course running Saturday at the California (Pa.) Invitational.

The nine-member Golden Eagle squad features just one senior, Kate Reinhart (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland), but five sophomores and two freshmen.

“We are somewhat inexperienced,” Clarion's first-year interim head coach D.J. Bevevino said. “We will definitely be relying on some young talent to lead us this year.”

Bevevino is looking toward sophomore Ciara Shorts (Waterford/Fort LeBoeuf) to lead the way in 2010. Shorts was the Golden Eagles top finisher at the NCAA Division II Regional meet last year finishing 26^th in a time of 22:41. She is also the top-returning PSAC finisher for Clarion having taken 30^th last season in a time of 24:13.9

“Ciara has the potential of building upon her regional finish from last year,” Bevevino said. “She is a fierce competitor, and she doesn't like to lose. If she has someone in reach, she will run them down. We are definitely looking at her to be a leader.”

Pushing Shorts for the top position will be freshman Megan Toddy (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth), who was a four-time first-team All-Suburban League in cross country and helped lead her team to a second-place district finish.

“So far, I'm most impressed that she isn't intimated by the returning runners,” Bevevino said. “She hasn't sat back during time trails and workouts and waited to see what the other runners were going to do. If she handles the competition the same way she handles the time trails and workouts and goes in with the attitude that she is a college runner and capable of doing well, she has the potential to do as well as Ciara did last year.”

Joining Shorts and Toddy in the top six for Clarion will be Reinhart, juniors Jamie Wyatt (Clarion/Clarion-Limestone) and Jeana Schwerer (Wexford/Pine-Richland) and sophomore Allison Regan (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland).

Reinhart was 65^th at PSAC's last season in a time of 25:21.4 and 79^th at Regionals in a time of 24:12, while Wyatt was 123^rd at Regional in a time of 26:05. Schwerer finished 97^th at Regionals in a time of 24:52, and Regan was 72^nd at PSAC's (25:47.1) and 103^rd at Regionals (25:06).

“Kate, Jamie, Jenna and Allison will combine with Ciara and Megan to give us a solid top six,” Bevevino said. “I also look for sophomore Molly Noctor (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills Regional) to challenge for a position in the top six as well as the season progresses.”

Adding depth will be sophomore Lindsey Coul (Tionesta/North Clarion).

 “Our goals for the season are to improve as the year progresses, remain healthy and run with fortitude,” Bevevino said.  

NOTES – Bevevino was named interim head coach in January and guided the Golden Eagles track and field team during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Prior to coming to Clarion, Bevevino was a multiple-sport coach at Clarion High School. Bevevino is a 1977 Clarion graduate and was an All-American diver while at Clarion. His father, Red, was an All-American football player at Clarion in the early 1950s and was the starting quarterback of Clarion's Lions Bowl championship team in 1952 earning the game's MVP honors … Bevevino takes over for Jayson Resch, who led Clarion to a seventh-place finish at PSAC's and a ninth-place ending at Regionals last season.