Video Preview With Coach Murray

DETROIT (9/3/2015) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's cross country team will begin the 2015 campaign in very familiar enemy territory as the Titans run in the 15th Annual Golden Grizzly Open on Friday, Sept. 4. 

The 4k event will take place at the Oakland Cross Country Course on the campus of Metro Series-rival Oakland in Rochester.

Detroit has taken part in all 14 previous races over the last two years on the Golden Grizzlies Cross Country Course. Other sites have included other parts of campus and the school's golf course as well as off campus at Bloomer Park in Rochester and in the Metroparks.

Last season, UDM claimed second place with a pair of runners in the top 10, including Sydnie Fetherolf placing third in her collegiate debut.

Season Preview
The Titans will still be fairly young again this season with five underclassmen on its eight-person roster, but the entire sophomore class did see some extensive race time a year ago. 

"It is a small group, about seven or eight when everyone is healthy, but there is definitely potential," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Guy Murray '89. "With Sydnie Fetherolf returning as All-Horizon League and Taylor Smith scoring in the outdoor 10,000-meters, that is a pretty good start for us."

One senior and two experienced juniors will look to lead the way for the red, white and blue. Haley Morairty, the lone senior, hopes to make an impact on the team after battling injuries for much of the last two seasons. She saw action in the first two events last season before injuries saw her miss the rest of the year after not racing at all in 2013. Morairty was the team's Rookie of the Year as a freshman and consistently posted times just outside of 20 minutes.

Juniors Devon Sutton and Samantha Zakalowski will help comprise the leadership and experience level for the squad. Sutton overcame some injuries last year to run in six of Detroit's seven races and she ended up setting personal records in the 4k and 6k. She was also part of the scoring five, five times.

"Devon trains up front and she sets the pace and Samantha is healthy, she had a good summer and she is fit," added coach Murray. 

Zakalowski also suited up in six events and posted a PR in the 4k. Her 5k season best time was 20:00 flat at the National Catholic Championships.

The sophomore class is highlighted by the return of All-Horizon League performer Sydnie Fetherolf and Taylor Smith, who was the Titans' top runner at the NCAA Regional Championship. Sophomore Jenny Ponkowski was in the scoring five in five of her seven races and Sydney Shaw took part in every event as a freshman.

"The experience is going to help them moving forward and it's going to help them all year," said coach Murray. You have Sydnie and Taylor up front, but Jenny made pretty good strides on the track and Sydney had some nice PR's in track and showed some potential."

Fetherolf earned a share of the Kevin Donner Team MVP Award as a rookie and she also took home the Horizon League Freshman of the Year honor. She ran in all seven races and led Detroit three times, while placing second twice. At the HL Championship, she was 10th overall with a time of 22:19.

Smith had to fight off an early season injury, but by the end of her freshman season, she was one of the team's best runners. She led UDM at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship earning 142nd in 22:53, the best finish by a Titan freshman since 2004, and she just missed All-HL accolades claiming 22nd at the Horizon League championship in 22:50, the 22nd best 6k time in the school record book.

Ponkowski was steady in her rookie year, recording five scoring times in her seven races, while Shaw posted a 5k season-best time of 20:29 at the Greater Louisville Classic.

The lone freshman who will look to make an impact once she returns from an injury is Annmarie Taylor. She was a two-time state qualifier in cross country in high school.

The Titans posses a small and youthful roster, but with all the experience that those runners bring to the course, a chance to finish high at the Horizon League Championship is definitely in sight.