With a "good, solid season," according to MWC Coach Tom Davies, the Mary Washington College cross country team compiled a best ever 6-2 dual meet record, placed second in the NCAA's South-Southeast Region, and sent two representatives, Marlene Moreno (Silver Spring, MD) and Martha Forsyth (Groveland, MA), to the NCAA Division III National Championship meet.

National presence is nothing new to the MWC Blue Tide team. In both 1980 and 1981, the squad won the AIAW Region 2 competition and advanced, as a full team, to the nationwide event. "As a team we made progress throughout the year," the fourth year coach related. "We improved until our best meet of the year was our last dual meet of the season," a 28-29 edging of Georgetown University's B team, "and we ran a comparable race at the regionals."

On the way to that best ever 6-2 dual meet mark, the team was the top Division III finisher at both the Essex (MD) and George Mason University Open meets. "Our goal was to reach the national meet, but I am not disappointed," Davies continued. "Our performances all the way through the regional were not disappointing at all. In addition, we built a solid base for next year."

Already looking toward next season are a group of eight returning freshmen and seven holdover sophomores, while only one senior, Leslie Bellais (Rockville, MD) leaves the team. Heading that sophomore contingent, and the team, is Marlene Moreno. Moreno placed third in the regional and earned her second national appearance in two cross country seasons, and the third of her collegiate career. As a freshman, she was named an All American in track for her performance on MWC's two mile relay team. Ever since her arrival at MWC, Moreno has paced the team. She has placed first for the Tide in 19 of the 20 races she has entered and in all 19 of those she has finished. During her season of "continued improvement," Davies said, she set the MWC three mile record of 18:13.

Sophomores Beth Dillow (Bristol, VA), Mary Taylor (Chester, VA), Susan Smith (Newport News, VA), and Meg Bain (Hartwood, VA) all ran near the level they reached as freshmen. Bain, like Moreno, "improved significantly," according to her coach, to capture a consistent top five slot. Taylor overcame a foot injury to "come along tremendously in the last month of the season," and ran her best race in the final event of the season.

Smith threatened the top five positions throughout the year. Freshmen Forsyth and Kim O'Keefe (Oakhurst, NJ) "gave us a lot of help," Davies added. Forsyth was on Moreno's heels, as she was at the regional, all season long. O'Keefe was a consistent top four finisher. In addition, newcomers Mary Kate Behan (Hampton, VA), Gayle Schmith (Cockeysville, MD), and Vicki Flaherty (Woodbridge, VA) all were consistent, solid runners. Both Schmith and Flaherty neared or entered the top five in every race and Behan was a regular eighth spot finisher. Freshman, Brenda Thier (Glen Allen, VA) was still another major contributor in her initial collegiate season.