Lake Forest College Sports Information
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID
  
Katie Snowden and Dan Hankosky look to
help the Foresters compete for conference.
2004 Preview: Things are Looking Up

LAKE FOREST, IL - In 2003, for the first time in the Forester cross country program’s nine-year history, both the men’s and women’s team had a runner earn All-Midwest Conference honors by placing among the league’s top 15 in the championship meet. Head Coach Tina McDonie hopes to look back on that feat as the beginning of a long list of accomplishments.

“The best thing about Katie [Snowden] and Dan’s [Hankosky] performance last year was that they did it as freshmen,” comments McDonie. If we can add just a couple of runners of that caliber each year we’ll be challenging for conference titles in the very near future.”

Snowden capped off a tremendous season with a 10th-place finish at the conference meet. She recorded six of the program’s top 20 times and became the first Forester female to win a race when she crossed the line first at the Warrior Invitational in October. Teammates Estafania Luna, Genia Lindsey, and Liz Martinez were also key contributors throughout the season and ran their best times of the year when it mattered most at the MWC Championship.

On the men’s side, Hankosky placed 11th in the conference with the fastest 8K time in the history of the program, breaking the record set by teammate Derek Meiring a year earlier. In their three seasons combined, Hankosky and Meiring have posted nine of the best 20 times in team history. They are joined by returners Logan Dick and Will Pittinos as the team looks to improve on its sixth-place finish at the 2003 conference meet.

“I’m extremely excited about the future of the program,” exclaims McDonie. “Not only are we better than we have been in recent years, but our dedication, work ethic, and team spirit are also at a high level. The team is having a lot of fun and improving daily. That combination creates a great environment for everyone involved.”

If the Foresters continue their recent improvement, the squads will be having even more fun celebrating the best seasons the program had ever had.