COLUMBUS, Ohio – Capital University cross country is continuing their rebuild in 2022 and has their sights set on a full year of competition to move them in the right direction. 

Head Coach BT Pham, and newly appointed Associate Head Coach Breanna Clayton are primed to get the team onto their progression focused training plan and hope for quality improvements in various areas this season. 
The coaching staff will welcome a combined five new faces to the team this year as they look to get faster from top to bottom on the roster. 

PRESS REWIND ON 2021
A year ago, as cross country was competing for the first time in more than a year since the Covid-19 Pandemic had begun, Capital was still finding their footing for much of the year. Throughout much of the season, the men's team competed as individuals, while the women dealt with their fair share of injuries throughout the year limiting their performances as well. 

The best sign for the Comets throughout the year, however, was the significant ability to successfully progress as the season elapsed. Each student-athlete who competed in the season ran a personal best time at some point throughout the year. 

WELCOME BACK
For the women, several competitors are returning to compete this season including Anya Vanasdale, Eva Bernhardt, Allison Costanzo, Alexa Daley, Grace Lockard, and Elizabeth Mak. 

Vanasdale competed for Capital three times throughout the year, hampered by injuries, but she dropped fast times each of the three times. Her 5K time in the opening meet of 19:59.5 sits ninth all-time in Capital history. Her next competition was a 6K run of 24:07.8 in which she was the highest D-III finisher in the race and took home OAC Runner of the Week honors. Her final run of the year clocked a time of 24:05.3 and sits her eighth all-time in Capital history on the 6K list. 

Others running top-20 program times include Allison Costanzo and Alexa Daley. Costanzo ran the 17th fastest time (25:28.5) in 2019, but Daley cracked the list with the 19th fastest time with a 25:32.1 mark, ran at the Great Lakes Regional in 2021.

On the men's side, all four regular competitors from 2021 are returning for 2022 – Donovan Slattery, Sam Siedel, Zach Brown, and Aidan Cunningham. 

Like the women, the men saw one crack the top-20 program list as Donovan Slattery ran the 11th 8K fastest time in program history with a time of 26:41.30 – a time he ran at the Great Lakes Regional meet. 

LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE
Capital is shaped up to compete in four meets prior to the OAC Championships. They will open at the Muskie Opener on September 1st before priming up for the All-Ohio Championships on September 16th. The final two tune-ups to the OAC meet will take place at the Muskie Invitational and the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble in October. 

The season for both teams will then conclude with the OAC Championships at Muskingum before they head to the Great Lakes Regional in Michigan on November 12th to decide if anyone will compete at the national level this season.