In the fall, the women's cross country team claimed two conference titles. MWC eclipsed Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) opponents by placing five runners among the top seven, including medalist Allison Coleman, to capture a second straight CAC title. The Eagles also won a third straight Mason- Dixon Conference crown, as team depth proved the difference in a one-point victory. Coleman's seventh place showing helped MWC to a second-place finish at the NCAASouth/Southeast Regionals.
While a second straight CAC title and a third consecutive Mason-Dixon Conference crown would constitute a banner season for most teams, MWC aims to return to the glory of the late 1980s. In a six-year span (1985-90), the Eagles won five NCAA South/Southeast Regional titles, but have fallen just short the past two campaigns. "Our region has become much more competitive the last two seasons, which is a good sign," said head coach Stan Soper. "This challenges our squad to work harder to contend for a national berth (regional champions qualify), and meet our goals to repeat as champions in the CAC and Mason-Dixon."
The Eagles welcome back sophomore Allison Coleman (Midlothian, VA), who looks to defend her CAC title and improve on her seventh-place regional finish, and a strong quartet of All-CAC runners in senior Karen Dickinson (Lebanon, NH), juniors Etta Agan (Fredericksburg, VA) and Jennifer Dyson (Chester, VA) and sophomore Alicia Faggart (Richmond, VA). Top freshmen include Fredericksburg's Laura Douglas, Marielle Powell (Monkton, MD) and Becky Novak (Frederick, MD).