Season Outlooks The NAU women are looking to return to their old form in 2012 after two rebuilding years of gradually climbing back up the Big Sky Conference ranks that followed the departure of All-American Veronica Pohl and All-Mountain Region runners Nell Rojas and Astrid Leutert in 2009. The women only lost two seniors to graduation following the 2011-12 season in Haley Lawrence and All-Big Sky and Mountain Region honoree Kortnee Burton. Returning to the Lumberjacks to lead the team is redshirt senior and Flagstaff native Rochelle Kanuho. Kanuho led the team in 2011 in five of her six races, and garnered both All-Big Sky and All-Mountain Region honors in the Lumberjacks’ two postseason meets. Kanuho hopes to improve on a 10th-place finish at last year’s conference meet and a 16th-place mark at the regional. Also returning is senior Agnes Laurent and sophomores Caroline Hogardh, Lauren Justus, Kylee Kieser and Kerri Lenihan, all of whom saw action in NAU’s top seven last season. Hogardh, a native of Sweden, will complement Kanuho nicely as the next best returner from 2011, and will solidly fill the void left by Burton and Lawrence. Laurent, Justus, Kieser, and Lenihan will all hope to improve on last year’s efforts and move up through the ranks as well. Rochelle Kanuho
Though Burton and Lawrence departed with five years of experience each, there are a number of newcomers who, like the men, will add depth and will also contend for the last few spots among the Top Seven. Heins added a trio of talented freshmen to the team this year, including fourtime Arizona state cross country champion Rolonda Jumbo. Also coming in are Australian Melanie Townsend and Cottonwood, Ariz. product Emma Schraner. Jumbo and Townsend should contend with the upperclassmen in solidifying the top half of the women’s roster, while Schraner provides a challenge for returning sophomores in filling out the final spots. NAU’s women haven’t won a Big Sky title since 2009, but they improved from fifth in 2010 to third last season and they were picked second out of 11 Big Sky teams in Aug. 29’s Preseason Poll. They also hope to make their first NCAA Championships appearance since 2008. With a healthy balance of new and returning talent, 2012 could shape up to be a prosperous one for the Lumberjack women as well.
Caroline Hogardh
2012 Lumberjack Cross Country Media Guide
5