Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Lehigh Invitational
Cross Country Season Begins at Lehigh Invitational on Saturday
8.28.13 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
PHILADELPHIA - The 2013 Temple cross country season begins on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Lehigh Invitational. While both squads have one or two veterans leading the way, the Owls will have a decidedly new look this season, which is their first as a member of the newly-created American Athletic Conference.
While head cross country and track & field coach Eric Mobley returns for his sixth season, the men's and women's cross country teams welcome a new face in assistant coach James Snyder, who will coach those squads day-to-day. Both teams feature just one senior on their rosters- Will Kellar on the men's side and Anna Pavone on the women's.
Pavone and junior Jenna Dubrow are the veterans to watch on the women's team after leading the way last year. They were the top two finishers for Temple at all of the team's major meets, and Dubrow was the team's top runner for the first 10 meets of her career.
"Anna and Jenna have been consisent performers over the last few years," said Snyder, "and have stayed with the program through a lot of changes and different coaches. I'll look to them as leaders, especially for the younger girls, and I know they will help build a strong foundation for future success."
Snyder is also looking for a big contribution from freshman Rachel Flynn out of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and Archbishop Carroll High School. Flynn was a two-time All-Delco honoree in her high school career, and while she specializes in middle distance events, Snyder expects her to be a big asset to the cross country team as well. Flynn recently took sixth place in the 800m at New Balance Outdoor Nationals meet in June.
On the men's side, Kellar returns to lead the team after earning Atlantic 10 All-Conference honors a year ago. He placed 14th at the A-10 Championships in a time of 26:08.4 and joined All-American Travis Mahoney as two of the only three Temple cross country runners to ever earn all-conference honors. The two helped the Owls to their best-ever finish of fourth place at the conference meet.
The loss of Mahoney is a big one, as he put Temple men's cross country on the map in 2012. With a 37th-place finish at the NCAA Championships a year ago, Mahoney became the program's first-ever All-American. He also won the 2012 A-10 Championships as well as the 2012 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals.
One newcomer to watch on the men's side is sophomore transfer Alex Izewski from Doylestown, Pa. He is not new to the program overall, having competed in the spring for track & field, but will be running cross country for the first time at Temple. Izewski, who attended Central Bucks East High School, spent his freshman year at the University of Florida and ran for the Gators' cross country team in 2011.
Two weeks after the Lehigh Invitational, the Owls will host the Friend Big 5 Invitational at Belmont Plateu in West Fairmount Park. The meet is being held for the second time in memory of Roswell Friend, a former team member who suddenly passed away at the start of the 2011 season.
After two October meets, the Paul Short Invitational and Leopard Invitational, the men's and women's teams will compete in their first American Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the University of Connecticut.
