Charleston, S.C. - With a pair of juniors leading the way and a trio of seniors not far behind, hopes are high for The Citadel's 2008 women's cross country team. Improvement from last year's record finish in the Southern Conference Championships should be evident of the team can avoid any major injuries this season as this year's team has no letterwinners lost.

The junior duo of Katheryn Gatewood and Natalie Wolin combined for all of the top finishes last season, including at the 2007 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky. Both juniors are expected to continue to set the pace for the team this year.

A trio of academic seniors in Megan Jenkins (an redshirt junior, athletically), Sarah Strickland and team captain Erin Ritter should round out the top five for the women's team this season.  All three are expected to improve their times upon last season and will be looked upon for leadership in guiding the team to a strong finish in the SoCon Championships at Wofford on Nov. 1.

Suzanne Gay and Sarah Stierwalt, both now sophomores, showed promise in their freshmen seasons last year and improved tremendously over the course of the outdoor track season. Both will challenge the upperclassmen in trying to break into the top-five.

The upperclassmen are the team's top five returnees and should hold that position this season. The seniors will be looked upon to make improvements in their times early in the season for the team to set the standard for success.

The young Bulldog team will be faced with a challenging schedule this fall. After opening up the season at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg, S.C., which will be the same course as the SoCon Championships later in the season, the Bulldogs will head up to the Salty Sea Dog Invitational at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. on Sept. 13. The Cadets host the 28th Annual Citadel Invitational on Sept. 27 before heading to Titusville, Fla. For a Friday evening race.

The Citadel will head to Rock Hill, S.C. for a quad meet with Furman, College of Charleston and host Winthrop on Oct. 18 before heading back to Spartanburg for the SoCon Championships. Select runners will also compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Nov.  15 hosted by Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.

For complete coverage of Bulldog Cross Country, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.