APR. 21 — Miller Resigns From Coaching Position
Leader of men's and women's programs steps down after successful tenure

Lyle Miller

Goshen, IN — The Goshen College athletic department announced Wednesday that head cross country coach Lyle Miller has resigned from his coaching position, ending a coaching tenure that spanned 18 years.

“I appreciate the dedication which Lyle has shown to our student-athletes, the cross country program and the institution,” said Ken Pletcher, Goshen College athletics director. “Lyle has demonstrated a strong commitment to our athletic program and has helped us in many ways in addition to his cross country coaching role. His knowledge and leadership will be missed in our athletic program.”

Miller resigns after serving as the head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs for the past two years, but also coached the sport from 1986 to 1993 at Goshen College. The director of Goshen’s printing and mailing services cited logistical reasons for stepping down.

“I've enjoyed the distinct hats that I've been able to wear on campus the past two years as director of printing and mailing services and coach of two cross country teams,” Miller said. “Each task brings its joys and challenges, but the "part-time" roles as they are currently contracted haven't dovetailed very realistically into a single full-time position. With some changes on campus over the past two years, the grind of doing these roles in their current arrangement was taking a toll on my physical, emotional and spiritual health. I regularly remind those around me, whether our student-athletes or my children, that life is about making wise choices, and at this point, the wisest choice for me is to step into a role that allows me to focus my energies on fewer activities.”

Miller was instrumental in beginning the Goshen College women's program, serving as its first full-season coach in 1986. He added men's responsibilities the following year, taking over as head coach in both sports in 1988. During an eight-year tenure that concluded in 1993, he coached seven NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, seven NAIA national championship qualifiers, 16 All-NAIA District 21 performers, including two individual champions, and 18 all-conference selections, including three individual champions. Miller was chosen Mid-Central College Conference women's coach of the year after the Maple Leafs won the 1992 team championship. His top men's finish was in 1988, when the team missed winning the conference crown by three points.

In the past two seasons, Miller was able to take the program to an even higher level of success, leading the women’s team to its first national ranking (reaching as high as 16th in 2002) while narrowly missing out on a first-ever team qualification for NAIA national competition that same year. Miller also coached three NAIA national qualifiers, seven NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, four All-Region VIII performers and six All-MCC picks in the last two years.

“This has been a difficult decision to come to, particularly because of my love for our student-athletes and the role athletics can play in their lives,” Miller said. “I am also thankful for our current cross country student-athletes, for their acceptance of me and for their willingness to pursue individual and team goals. I believe the kind of excellence they have demonstrated helps the college achieve its mission, and that is what I measure my success or failure against.”

Miller graduated from Goshen College in 1989 with a major in sports management and completed graduate studies at the University of Iowa. He, his wife, Bonnie, and their two children attend Waterford Mennonite Church, where he is active as a member of the Ministry Leadership Council and serves as assistant church treasurer. Miller will continue his position as director of printing and mailing services at Goshen.

“I feel like I inherited a program with many positives and will be able to hand it off to my successor in even better shape,” he said. “I look forward to supporting the team in the future in whatever way I can.”

Check back to this website for the most up-to-date team information and coaching news.

NOV. 22 — Saunders And Lehman Represent Goshen Well
Duo finish in top half at NAIA Nationals; Saunders concludes brilliant career

Fast as usual: Senior Heidi Saunders races toward the finish line in Saturday’s NAIA National Championship race. Saunders finished 43rd out of 256 runners in a time of 18:50.5.

Ready to run: Senior Heidi Saunders and junior Melissa Lehman huddle with head coach Lyle Miller before the start of the national event Saturday.

Louisville, KY — With carloads of Goshen fans making the trip to Louisville, senior Heidi Saunders and junior Melissa Lehman each gave their best shot in the NAIA National Championships at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park on Saturday. Both Saunders and Lehman turned in season-best clips in the grand event, with both finishing in the top half of the field. Saunders — in her final cross country meet as a collegian — took home 43rd place in a time of 18:50.5, while Lehman was nearly 39 seconds back, finishing 104th in 19:31.2.

“I was pleased with both Heidi’s and Melissa’s races,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “The course was relatively flat, so a lot of people went out very fast. I thought both Heidi and Melissa hit the mile a little quicker than we probably should have, but I was pleased with the way they toughed it out from there. Even with the quick start, both of them still moved up throughout the race.”

Saunders, a four-time All-American in both cross country and track and field, was able to keep a firm grasp on her place among the NAIA Region VIII runners: On Saturday, she was the fourth runner from an NAIA Region VIII school to cross the finish line, her exact place in the regional event just two weeks prior. Lehman moved up among her regional counterparts, however, finishing as the 10th Region VIII athlete in the national championships. She finished 14th in the regional event.

A sunny and unseasonably warm November day made for perfect running conditions in Saturday’s championships, helping to speed up the overall pace. Mirriam Kaumba of Oklahoma Baptist won the women’s individual championship, finishing in a time of 17:13.9. A total of 256 runners participated in the event.

Saunders concluded her career in cross country with her third NAIA Nationals appearance in four year of competition — the most appearances in school history — and currently holds each Goshen school record in the sport. She finished as an All-American in cross country during her freshman season.

“Heidi finished out her career with another strong race today,” Miller said. “Melissa has been a very strong number two runner this year, and I look forward to her taking the team under her belt next season.”

For a complete list of finishers in the 2003 Women’s National Championship race, click here. Check back to this website for the most up-to-date information on Goshen College cross country throughout the off-season.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (43rd) — 18:50.5
Melissa Lehman (104th) — 19:31.2

NOV. 8 — Leafs Conclude Season As Team In Regionals
Squad depleted by injury; Saunders and Lehman advance to nationals

Senior Heidi Saunders Junior Melissa Lehman

Grand Rapids, MI — Without a full squad on board for the NAIA Regional Championships at Riverview Park in Grand Rapids, Mich. Saturday, the Goshen College women’s cross country team came up short of its desired result as a team. The squad took fifth place in the region, garnering 145 team points. And while the team’s season concluded in regional action, senior Heidi Saunders and junior Melissa Lehman each advanced to the NAIA National Championships as a result of their performances on Saturday.

“This was a bittersweet way to end our regular season,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “The bitter taste coming from knowing that a couple runners weren’t able to compete because of injury and a couple more competed but were severely hampered, so we weren’t able to compete as we would have liked. The sweet taste came from the performances of those who were at full strength.”

Goshen was without freshman Kassidy Cheek and vastly improved sophomore Rachel Yantzi — the Leafs’ number three runner for the majority of the season — due to leg injuries. While these absences hurt the team’s scoring, it did not affect Saunders and Lehman, who put together two of their best personal races of the season. Saunders took fourth place honors with a time of 18:51, while Lehman recorded a 17th place effort, coming across the finish line at the 19:37 mark. Saunders’ time was fast enough on its own to qualify her for NAIA National competition in two weeks, while Lehman had to wait to see if she would make it. Since Spring Arbor received an at-large team bid to nationals on Sunday, all Cougars’ runners that finished ahead of Lehman in Saturday’s race no longer filled up individual spots for national qualification, giving Lehman her first NAIA Nationals posting.

“Heidi ran by far her best race of the year,” Miller said. “We had to wait until Sunday to find out whether or not Melissa made it, and we’re obviously very happy she did. Even had she not qualified, she laid it all on the line (Saturday), particularly in the second mile.”

Senior Charity Brubaker also put in a tremendous effort for the Leafs in regionals, knocking 37 seconds off her career best with a 31st-place finish in a time of 20:00. That clip placed her at 11th on Goshen’s all-time top performer’s list, with only four seniors running faster in school history.

“Charity went out in style as a senior running her last race,” Miller said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Senior Jenny Stalter (95th place, 23:53), sophomore Sarah Valatka (78th place, 21:58) and freshman Rachel Wigginton (82nd place, 22:25) all posted season-best times Saturday as well for Goshen.

Indiana Wesleyan’s Katie Bloomquist took individual medalist honors at the meet, winning the race in a time of 18:24. Other team scores included: Indiana Wesleyan 23, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 99, Bethel and Huntington 133, Aquinas 170, Siena Heights (Mich.) 188, Taylor 202, Grace 217, Cornerstone (Mich.) 226, Tri-State 233, Marian 282, St. Francis incomplete.

Lehman and Saunders will now compete in the NAIA National Championships at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ken. on Nov. 22. For more information on the meet, click here. For directions to the site of the national championships, click here.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (4th) — 18:51
Melissa Lehman (17th) — 19:37
Charity Brubaker (31st) — 20:00
Laura Herr (63rd) — 21:07
Rebekah Henn (72nd) — 21:36
Sarah Valatka (78th) — 21:58
Rachel Wigginton (82nd) — 22:25
Jenny Stalter (95th) — 23:53
Katie Harnish (98th) — 24:28

OCT. 25 — Goshen Takes Third At MCC Championships
Team takes down 25th-ranked Taylor; various individuals shine

Goshen, IN — Falling behind to only the second- and 21st-ranked teams in the country Saturday, the Goshen women’s cross country team secured a third-place finish at the Mid-Central Conference Championships on its home course in wet and cold conditions. Goshen knocked off Bethel and 25th-ranked Taylor to grab third, an effort that pleased head coach Lyle Miller.

“We were able to compete pretty well and finished behind a couple of very strong teams,” Miller said. “We had a bunch of people run virtually identical times to last week at Wisconsin-Parkside, and nearly everyone ran better than we did at our home meet (the Goshen Invitational on Oct. 5), some by a pretty sizeable margin.”

Senior Heidi Saunders led the way for the Leafs, taking fourth place overall in a time of 19:12, her second-best clip of this season. Junior Melissa Lehman finished 12th with a season-best 19:46 effort, while sophomore Rachel Yantzi placed 34th in a time of 20:42.

“Heidi ran one of her better times of the year, and I was pleased with the toughness that Melissa Lehman had in running with some talented runners. (Sophomore) Sarah Valatka (55th place, 22:16) knocked another 15 seconds off her personal best and (freshman) Rachel Wigginton (61st place, 22:56) about 30 seconds.”

Indiana Wesleyan’s Katie Bloomquist took medalist honors at the meet. Team scores were: Indiana Wesleyan 18, Huntington 76, Goshen 93, Bethel 98, Taylor 125, Grace 148, Marian 177, St. Francis incomplete.

Goshen will take two weeks to prepare for its next meet, when the team will travel to Grand Rapids, Mich. to participate in the NAIA Region VIII Championships. That meet will take place Nov. 8.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (4th) — 19:12
Melissa Lehman (12th) — 19:46
Rachel Yantzi (34th) — 20:42
Laura Herr (42nd) — 21:11
Charity Brubaker (47th) — 21:26
Sarah Valatka (55th) — 22:16
Kassidy Cheek (60th) — 22:52
Rachel Wigginton (61st) — 22:56
Jenny Stalter (69th) — 24:06
Katie Harnish (72nd) — 25:13

OCT. 18 — Leafs Struggle With Consistency At Parkside
Team takes 13th place; Cheek, Valatka record personal bests

Freshman Kassidy Cheek Sophomore Sarah Valatka

Kenosha, WI — Goshen’s performance at Saturday’s massive Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational left head coach Lyle Miller pleased in some areas, while searching for greater results in others. The Leafs took a 13th team finish out of 26 teams competing, and senior Heidi Saunders took 17th place overall in a time of 19:07, 12 seconds faster than her performance from one week ago. Still, Miller continues to push his squad.

“We did some nice things, but we are struggling with consistency,” he said.

Freshman Kassidy Cheek (192nd place, 22:28) and sophomore Sarah Valatka (195th place, 22:33) each turned in personal best times on the day, while sophomore Rachel Yantzi (113th place, 20:47) dropped 89 seconds off her time from the same meet last season.

“I though our top four ran solidly, and Kassidy and Sarah each ran very well against themselves,” Miller said. “Rachel Yantzi again demonstrated the kind of improvement she’s been showing from a year ago.”

Susan Barth (unattached) won the individual race in a time of 18:09. Team scores were: Indiana Wesleyan 84, Illinois-Chicago 114, DePauw 164, Chicago 167, Wheaton (Ill.) 169, Northwestern 184, IUPU-Ft. Wayne 192, Bradley 197, IUPU-Indianapolis 197, Wisconsin-Whitewater 248, Wichita State 278, Wisconsin-Parkside 311, Goshen 370, Lansing (Mich.) 388, Wisconsin-Platteville 395, Robert Morris (Ill.) 480, Valparaiso 481, Wisconsin-Green Bay 486, Illinois Institute of Technology 502, Cornerstone (Mich.) 515, Chicago State 554, St. Xavier (Ill.) 590, Lake Forest (Ill.) 607, Loyola-Chicago 634, Marquette inc., Madison Tech inc.

Goshen will participate in the Mid-Central Conference Championships on Saturday, as the Leafs will host this year’s event. Women’s race time is slated for an 11:30 a.m. start.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (17th) — 19:09
Melissa Lehman (63rd) — 19:58
Rachel Yantzi (113th) — 20:47
Laura Herr (127th) — 21:01
Charity Brubaker (167th) — 21:54
Kassidy Cheek (192nd) — 22:28
Sarah Valatka (195th) — 22:33
Rachel Wigginton (217th) — 23:37
Jenny Stalter (236th) — 24:39
Katie Harnish (240th) — 24:58

OCT. 10 — Goshen Takes Second-Place Trophy At Benedictine Invitational
Saunders wins medal as team falls only to NCAA Div. I Northern Illinois

Senior Heidi Saunders Junior Melissa Lehman

Lisle, IL — Behind a strong push from its senior leader, the Goshen women’s cross country team captured a second place finish at the 25-team Benedictine Invitational Friday, falling only to NCAA Division I Northern Illinois University in the process.

Senior All-American Heidi Saunders took individual medalist honors for the third straight meet, winning the race in a time of 19:19, the 28th best performance in Goshen history. Junior Melissa Lehman was next in line for Goshen, finishing 10th overall with a clip of 20:15.

“I thought we competed pretty well against ourselves, which was something we needed to do because we were running almost entirely against teams we haven't seen before,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “We haven't run on a very fast course yet this season, so I think our times will improve significantly as the year goes along. Heidi took control of the pace pretty early and was able to maintain her focus, never really letting anyone back into the race. I also thought Melissa competed well. Take out the five NCAA Division I runners ahead of her and she's fifth in a good-sized field. In the next pack, (sophomore) Rachel Yantzi (18th place, 20:57) and (senior) Charity Brubaker (27th place, 21:25) again ran very solid times, and (senior) Jenny Stalter (95th place, 24:38) improved herself relative to the team.”

Goshen compiled just 79 team points, 39 points below third place St. Joseph’s College. Northern Illinois won the team title with 27 points. Other team scores were: St. Joseph’s 118, St. Mary's 125, Beloit (Wis.) 138, North Park (Ill.) 140, Illinois Central 182, Robert Morris (Ill.) 190, St. Xavier (Ill.) 240, Marian 286, Transylvania 287, St. Francis (Ill.) 290, College of DuPage (Ill.) 305, Moraine Valley CC (Ill.) 344, Chicago State 398, Morton CC (Ill.) 425, Aurora (Ill.) inc., Benedictine (Ill.) inc., Dominican (Ill.) inc., Elgin CC (Ill.) inc., Harper CC (Ill.) inc., Lake County CC (Ill.) inc., Madison Area Tech (Wis.), Sauk Valley (Wis.) inc., Waubonsee (Wis.) inc.

Goshen will next travel to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for the Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational on Saturday.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (1st) — 19:19
Melissa Lehman (10th) — 20:15
Rachel Yantzi (18th) — 20:57
Charity Brubaker (27th) — 21:25
Rebekah Henn (28th) — 21:25
Laura Herr (38th) — 21:45
Kassidy Cheek (70th) — 23:10
Sarah Valatka (84th) — 23:59
Jenny Stalter (95th) — 24:38
Rachel Wigginton (108th) — 25:38
Katie Harnish (119th) — 26:41

OCT. 4 — Leafs Knock Out Bethel Again In Goshen Invite
Saunders wins top honors for second consecutive week

Off to the races: Members of the women’s team take off at the start of Saturday’s Goshen Invite. The Leafs defeated Bethel in team scoring, 24 points to 31.

Winner: Senior Heidi Saunders strolls in to the finish line to take medalist honors in Saturday’s dual meet. Saunders finished the 5K event in a time of 19:52.

Goshen, IN — For the second consecutive week, the Goshen women’s cross country team took home a trophy, the latest piece of hardware coming from the Goshen Invitational Saturday. The Leafs’ 24 team points was better than Mid-Central Conference rival Bethel’s 31 points, despite a slower overall performance than at the Bethel Invitational just a week ago. Goshen head coach attributed slower times to the wet conditions on the course, even though Saturday’s running conditions were quite nice — sunny skies in temperatures in the lower 50’s prevailed.

“We continue to battle some inconsistency, but I continue to see signs of overall progression,” Miller said. “Times were about 20-25 seconds slower than last week at Bethel, and most of our top five was in that range.”

Goshen was led by senior Heidi Saunders’ second straight first place finish, as the All-American took Saturday’s medalist honor in a time of 19:52. Junior Melissa Lehman took second place out of the 18 female participants, running a 20:19 clip. Sophomore Sarah Valatka (12th place, 23:06) and freshman Rachel Wigginton (14th place, 23:36) each lowered their time from a week ago.

“I was especially pleased with Sarah Valatka and Rachel Wigginton, who were the only two runners on either team to lower their times from last week,” Miller said.

Goshen will next participate in the Benedictine Invitational on Friday in Lisle, Illinois.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (1st) — 19:52
Melissa Lehman (2nd) — 20:19
Rachel Yantzi (6th) — 21:02
Laura Herr (7th) — 21:17
Charity Brubaker (8th) — 21:20
Sarah Valatka (12th) — 23:06
Kassidy Cheek (13th) — 23:27
Rachel Wigginton (14th) — 23:36
Jenny Stalter (16th) — 25:17
Katie Harnish (17th) — 25:36

SEPT. 26 — Goshen Wins Nine-Team Bethel Invitational
Saunders, Lehman lead team effort in program's largest-meet win

South Bend, IN — It was a tremendous outing for the Goshen women’s cross country team at the Bethel Invitational Friday, as the squad won both the team and individual championships in the nine-team event, the largest meet a Goshen team has ever won in school history.

Junior Heidi Saunders took the individual blue ribbon in a time of 19:13, the 23rd quickest time in Goshen record books. Saunders was not alone in leading the path for the Leafs, however, as Friday’s Top 15 looked like a who’s-who for the Goshen team. Junior Melissa Lehman finished second behind Saunders (19:53), sophomore Rachel Yantzi sixth (20:39), senior Rebekah Henn eighth (20:40), freshman Laura Herr 12th (20:49) and senior Charity Brubaker 15th (21:01), giving the Leafs their quickest top five runners in school history, save for last year’s squad.

“We ran much better than we did a week ago,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “Our team time dropped by 2:23, whereas a couple of other teams who ran last week only dropped by about a minute each. Individually, I thought we stepped up from last week pretty much across the board. Heidi took control of the race by the half-mile point, and Melissa moved into second relatively early. Rachel Yantzi closed out well and continues to be our most improved runner from a year ago. Rebekah Henn dropped her time by more than a minute from last week and Laura and Charity ran very solid races.”

Saunders’ first place finish was the first of her senior season, as only two seniors have run faster than her 19:13 in school history. Lehman’s clip was the fourth-quickest pace by a junior in career records, while Yantzi’s time ranks 14th on Goshen’s top performers list. As a squad, Goshen’s top seven combined time has only been bettered on three occasions, all during last season.

“This is the first time we’ve ever had 11 runners in a meet, and the first time we’ve had 10 running in under 24 minutes,” Miller said.

Goshen collected a mere 29 points at the event. Other team scores were Bethel 65, Manchester 88, Robert Morris (IL) 96, Trinity Christian (IL) 103, DuPage (IL) 141, Concordia (IL) 174, Benedictine (IL. incomplete, St. Francis incomplete.

Goshen looks to continue its push into next weekend, when the team will host the Goshen Invitational on Saturday. Women’s start time is slated for 12:15 p.m.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (1st) — 19:13
Melissa Lehman (2nd) — 19:53
Rachel Yantzi (6th) — 20:39
Rebekah Henn (8th) — 20:40
Laura Herr (12th) — 20:49
Charity Brubaker (15th) — 21:01
Kassidy Cheek (42nd) — 22:42
Sarah Valatka (45th) — 23:15
Rachel Wigginton (53rd) — 23:45
Katie Harnish (56th) — 23:58
Jenny Stalter (61st) — 24:29

SEPT. 19 — Leafs Don't Have Best Effort At Intercollegiates
Squad takes seventh place; have room to improve according to Miller

Senior Heidi Saunders

Terre Haute, IN — After missing the massive Indiana Intercollegiate meet for the past two years, the Goshen women’s cross country team finally got its chance to compete against a variety of Indiana schools. The team’s seventh place finish — out of a 17-team field — was a bit short of the goal set, at least according to Goshen head coach Lyle Miller.

“Last year a tornado kept us from competing at this meet, and the year before it was cancelled because of 9-11, so this was the first time at a meet of this size and quality for everyone but (senior) Heidi (Saunders),” Miller said. “I don’t think we responded particularly well, and we certainly didn’t click on all cylinders, but I still have confidence that we can in the coming weeks.”

Saunders led the way for the Leafs in the meet, taking eighth place overall with a time of 19:17, tying the 23rd fastest mark in school history. Only two seniors have ever run faster than that clip in program history as well.

Sophomore Rachel Yantzi continued to improve on what has become a defining season thus far, finishing 51st overall (20:55) and the third Leaf to cross the finish line.

“Rachel Yantzi continues to show significant improvement from a year ago,” Miller said. “I also thought (sophomore) Sarah Valatka (100th place, 23:25) took a step forward in relation to the compeition.”

Southern Indiana took the team first place finish with 48 points. Other team scores were: ndiana Wesleyan 56, DePauw 80, Indianapolis 157, Huntington 160, Bethel 228, Goshen 233, Anderson 241, Franklin 262, Taylor 298, Hanover 311, Earlham 344, Manchester 353, Tri-State 374, St. Francis incomplete, Oakland City incomplete, IU-Southeast incomplete. DePauw’s Natalie Shaffer won the individual medalist honors, finishing the race in a time of 18:34.

Goshen was without the services of senior Charity Brubaker at the event due to a prior academic commitment.

The Leafs will return to competition Friday, when the team will travel to Bethel for the Bethel Invitational.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (8th) — 19:17
Melissa Lehman (38th) — 20:24
Rachel Yantzi (51st) — 20:55
Laura Herr (62nd) — 21:11
Rebekah Henn (76th) — 21:51
Sarah Valatka (100th) — 23:25
Kassidy Cheek (101st) — 23:31
Rachel Wigginton (103rd) — 23:56
Katie Harnish — 24:36
Jenny Stalter — 25:47

SEPT. 12 — Depth A Key In Third Place Finish At Aquinas
Middle of Leaf pack helps Goshen to strong finish at nine-team invite

Senior Rebekah Henn Freshman Laura Herr

Grand Rapids, MI — With a strong push coming from its middle runners, the Goshen College women’s cross country team finished third in the nine-team Aquinas Invitational Friday, garnering 117 team points en route to the top three finish.

The Leafs were led by senior Rebekah Henn (41st place), freshman Laura Herr (60th place), sophomore Rachel Yantzi (66th place) and senior Charity Brubaker (100th place), as Goshen’s three through six finishers propelled the team to several high marks. Only last season’s squad has placed a better time than Friday’s top five (102:14) and top seven (146:50).

“Tonight was a good example of how depth can play a significant role,” said Lyle Miller, Goshen head coach. “(Senior) Heidi Saunders sprained her ankle two weeks ago and still is less than 100 percent and (junior) Melissa Lehman had a very heavy week of practice, so the two of them were a little off. Our third through sixth runners ran as well as we have ever done at this point in the season.”

Even with the injury, Saunders’ clip of 19:25 (13th place finish) was the 30th fastest time in school history and eight quickest by a senior. Only two seniors have run faster than Saunders’ Friday clip. Lehman’s 20:17, 32nd place finish was also noteworthy, as only three junior have run faster in school history. Still, it was Goshen’s midriff that caught Miller’s attention for the day.

“Laura Herr had a big step forward from the Anderson meet, and Rachel Yantzi dropped her time below anything she did last season,” Miller said. “I was also pleased with how (freshmen) Kassidy Cheek and Katie Harnish improved from at Anderson.”

Grand Valley State came away with the team trophy, finishing with 15 points. State’s Krista O’Dell took individual medalist honors at the meet, finishing in 18:09.

Goshen will next travel to Indiana State on Friday to take part in the Indiana Intercollegiates.

Goshen Individual Results
Heidi Saunders (13th) — 19:25
Melissa Lehman (32nd) — 20:17
Rebekah Henn (41st) — 20:35
Laura Herr (53rd) — 20:54
Rachel Yantzi (60th) — 21:05
Charity Brubaker (66th) — 21:20
Kassidy Cheek (100th) — 23:16
Sarah Valatka (106th) — 23:43
Rachel Wigginton (110th) — 24:04
Katie Harnish (113th) — 24:13

AUG. 30 — Yantzi's Summer Work Ethic Shows In First Meet Of Year
Team takes 25th national ranking into 2003 season

Sophomore Rachel Yantzi

Anderson, IN — Although Saturday’s Anderson Invitational was the official season opening meet for the 2003 Goshen cross country season, the Leafs only brought half of their athletes to the event taking a “scrimmage” approach to the race. It was for this reason that head coach Lyle Miller displayed no concern for the Leafs’ third place finish (out of four teams at the invite).

“Since we don’t compete again for another two weeks, we approached today as a ‘pre-season’ meet,” Miller said. “Only about half of our athletes competed, so the team scores don’t mean very much. However, it was a good learning experience for us. I was pleased with how a number of our freshmen ran. This meet helped them as they start to make the transition to college running.”

Goshen begins the 2003 season ranked 25th in the NAIA National Preseason poll, and although some of its top runners did not participate on Saturday, the ones that did showed why the Leafs are considered one of the country’s best. Sophomore Rachel Yanzti finished 13th with a time of 21:46, her second-best time of her young career in a Maple Leaf uniform. Yantzi ran a 21:21 clip in last year’s Mid-Central Conference meet, the only time she has ran faster.

“Rachel Yantzi probably had the day’s strongest performance,” Miller said. “She only ran faster one time last year, and this was a much tougher course than we were on all last season. To do that at the first meet of the season says something about the amount of work she put in this summer.”

Senior Rebekah Henn turned in the quickest performance of the day for the Leafs, as her time of 21:44 was good enough for 12th place. Classmate Charity Brubaker took a 15th place result (22:06).

Lisa Nicholson of Anderson took medalist honors at the meet, winning the individual race in a time of 19:20. Team scores were: Anderson 17, Earlham 39, Goshen 82 and Rose-Hulman 106.

On a down note, senior All-American Heidi Saunders suffered a sprained ankle while warming up for the event. She is expected to miss 7-10 days while the swelling subsides.
Luckily for the Leafs, their next meet is not for two more weeks. Goshen will next travel to Aquinas on Sept. 13 for the Aquinas Invitational.

Goshen Individual Results
Rebekah Henn (12th) — 21:44
Rachel Yantzi (13th) — 21:46
Charity Brubaker (15th) — 22:06
Laura Herr (20th) — 22:26
Kassidy Cheek (25th) — 24:35
Katie Harnish (27th) — 26:05