Probable Top Five:

SR Dana Giordano (9:07 3K; 15:53 5K; 45th NCAA XC ’14)

SR Reid Watson (9:40 3K; 16:17 5K; 202nd NCAA XC ’14)

SR Sarah Bennett (10:41 3K Steeple; 16:52 5K; 89th NCAA XC ’14)

JR Helen Schlachtenhaufen (4:24 1500; 9:53 3K; 231st NCAA XC ’14)

FR Grace Thompson (2:12 800; 4:32 1500)

 

Impact Freshmen/Transfers:

Grace Thompson via Canada (2:12 800; 4:32 1500)
Angela Ortlieb via Escondido, CA (5:02 1600; 10:46 3200)
Olivia Lantz via Manchester, MA (4:46 Mile; 11:01 2 Mile)
Alexa Jennings via Dayton, OH (2:09 800)

 

Analysis:

The Dartmouth women took home a 20th-place finish as a team at last year’s NCAA Championships despite a fall early on in the race from individual leader Dana Giordano who just missed out on All American honors with a 45th-place finish. However, the 2015 squad has some growing to do with the loss of three seniors who placed in the top seven in Terre Haute last November. 

 

Senior Dana Giordano should be in shape to continue leading the Big Green through the fall season after competing in the 5K at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. Giordano finished 23rd overall, one place behind her finish from 2014, but came away with a season’s and personal best of 15:54 from Mt. SAC, the same place where she ran her personal best of 15:53 a year prior. She also took home an Ivy League Conference title in the 1500m with a new personal best of 4:19. 

 

Giordano will be assisted by an up and coming Reid Watson who posted a new personal best of 16:17 in the 5K at Mt. SAC in April. Although she didn’t qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Finals, Watson had an eventful season full of personal bests in the longer distance. Helen Schlachtenhaufen will make another appearance on the cross country course after posting personal bests in the 1500m (4:24) and mile (4:50) during track season. Sarah Bennett will also return to contribute on the cross country course after posting a personal best of 16:52 in the 5K in April. 

 

The Big Green is receiving several promising recruits as well, including Canadian Grace Thompson who holds personal bests of 2:12 in the 800m and 4:32 in the 1500m. Angela Ortlieb of Escondido, Calif. should also make an impact after a top finish at the California State Cross Country meet. Olivia Lantz of Manchester, Mass. is coming into the season after posting a 1600m personal best of 4:56 and a victory at the state cross country meet. 

 

These recruits and current up and coming athletes will have to make an immediate impact in order for the Dartmouth Big Green to return to the NCAA Championships this fall.