By Steve Holt, Sports Writer
The ACU women’s cross country team has already experienced a scare this fall, before any women even put on a purple singlet. Freshman runner Olha Kryvyak of Lviv, Ukraine, collapsed on Aug. 28 after a run, and after being rushed to the emergency room was diagnosed with a severe case of heat stroke. Kryvyak was just released from the hospital Monday after a scary two-week stay, Murray said.
Kryvyak is expected to make a full recovery and could be one of the Wildcats’ top runners in 2003, Murray said. He added that she may miss much of the regular season, because he doesn’t want her to get back into it too fast.
ACU’s No. 1 runner will likely be Yuliya Stashkiv, who will be competing in cross country for the first time after a stellar track and field season in the spring. Stashkiv won the 3,000-meter run and was runner-up in the 1,500-meter run at nationals in May.
“She’s going to be a great frontrunner,” Murray said. “She loves cross country as much or more than track, so it’s going to be great to watch her run.”
The women’s team hasn’t competed at nationals in several years, as it has failed to place first or second at the South Central Region Championships. Sophomore runner Abbie Waters, who likely will be the No. 4 runner for ACU, said the team wants to advance to nationals this season after falling just short in 2002.
“We were so close last year,” Waters said. “We’ll be going to some big meets, so that will help prepare us for stressful race situations.”
Senior Justine Nahimana is the only former all-American on the team and will likely fill the No. 3 spot after the Ukrainians. Nahimana placed 10th at the 2000 NCAA Division II Cross Country Champion-ships, an achievement she has not been able to duplicate since then. That, too, could change this season.
“She looks good right now, not having any injuries and is in good shape,” Murray said. “So I guess the ultimate goal is to be all-America again. She can do that; she has the ability.”
After Waters, Murray said, three runners could compete for the fifth scoring spot.
“Last year was a tough year with injury, but we’re all back and even more excited this year,” Waters said.
