RIVER FOREST, Ill. – It's almost race week for Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's cross country. Before the season begins, catch up on last season and what the squad has coming up this fall.
 
Coach Dvorak
In his second season in charge, Head Coach Chris Dvorak is ready for the squad to get back on the course. "Heading into this season, I know my athletes and they trusted the process last year, which paid off. Now, they're ready to go and reach new heights. The team is invested in each other and will see the product of that over this and future seasons."
 
Last Season
CUC co-hosted the NPU/CUC Early Invitational on August 29 to kickstart last season. In her collegiate debut, Rose Losey (Royal Oak, Mich.) paced all Cougars, finishing 25^th overall.
 
Losey continued to lead the Cougars at the following meet, the Aurora Spartan Classic on September 13.  Sarah Redhage (Lowden, Iowa) and Marlena Butler (Norridge, Ill.) followed, with Butler picking up a personal best.
 
On September 20, CUC competed at the Gil Dodds Invitational. Losey secured a personal best to lead the Cougars. Redhage and Butler followed, respectively.
 
A top 25 finish from Losey highlighted the team's strong performances at the Warrior Invitational on October 4.
 
Next up was the Bradley Pink Classic, where Losey, Butler, and Addi McKee (Knoxville, III.) were the first three Cougars to cross the line.
 
At the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) championships, CUC finished eighth of 11 teams. Izzy Fairless (Royal Oak, Mich.) led the Cougars, finishing 21^st. Losey and Stacey Maskery (Alfreton, England) finished in the top 40, placing 35^th and 37^th, respectively.
 
The season concluded at the NCAA DIII Midwest Regional Championships, held in Waverly, Iowa. The squad finished 25^th out of 30 teams, while Fairless and Maskery paced the Cougars.
 
Returning Athletes
In addition to Losey, Redhage, Butler, McKee, Fairless, and Maskery, Amya Marquez (Berwyn, Ill.), Ciara Parsons (Whitmore Lake, Mich.), Lydia Anderson (Carpentersville, Ill.), and Breanna Walters (Poplar Grove, Ill.) return to the course.
 
"We didn't have any graduates last year, so we kept our roster," Coach Dvorak remarked. "While last season was marked with athletes recovering and getting healthy, the women are coming back this season with experience and a hunger to take on the challenges they missed last season. The team brings a lot of comradery, and their attitudes and work ethic are going to leave a mark on this team for years to come."
 
New Faces
Senior Danielle Giovenco (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) makes the leap to cross country after having competed on the track & field team last spring. In addition, three incoming Cougars, Lydia Becker (Valparaiso, Ind.), Gabrielle Vitto (Chicago, Ill.), and Mia Butler (Norridge, Ill.) will make their collegiate debuts this season.
 
"Our incoming women are really dedicated to the sport and have bonded well with each other and the veterans," Coach Dvorak noted. "So far, they have been receptive to coaching and working hard during our practices. I am really looking forward to seeing how they will grow from the first race to the end of the season."
 
A Look Ahead
The season begins on Friday, September 4, at the Flyer Early Bird Invite, hosted by Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. Two weeks later, the Cougars head to Warrenville, Ill. for the Gil Dodds Invite, hosted by Wheaton College on Saturday, September 19.
 
The new month kicks off with the Cougars traveling to West Allis, Wis. for the Steve Travis Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) on Saturday, October 3. The final tune up before NACC will be the Augustana Interregional Invitational, on Saturday, October 17, in Rock Island, Ill.
 
Halloween is set for the NACC Championships, held in Batavia, Ill. Finally, the season will conclude at the DIII Midwest Regionals, held in Rock Island, Ill.
 
Coach Dvorak is optimistic and excited for the season. "We have some real opportunities for getting some NACC All-Conference placements. The team has good prospects at being in the top half of the NACC. Many of the runners really built up a competitive mindset during track season, which will bring fresh successes throughout this season as they not only push against themselves and their self-improvement, but also get in the mix for conference and regionals and placing well. At the end of the season, I hope my runners feel accomplished, recognize and celebrate success, while learning from the let downs and coming back stronger. Times, Places, and Accolades: those will all follow as the team continues to bring together training, teamwork, and resilience."
 
The women's cross country season begins Friday, September 4. The Cougars will head to Romeoville, Ill. for the Flyer Early Bird Invite, hosted by Lewis University. Coverage for the meet, as well as anything related to Concordia women's cross country can be found at cucougars.com.