Rising sophomore Sophie Hawkins peaked right in time for the championship portion of the 2015 season, and will look to remain a key contributor on the 2016 team.

Now an overall seasoned unit, The College of Wooster women's cross country team will look to make a climb up the team standings in the challenging North Coast Athletic Conference. Head coach Dennis Rice, who is in his 28th year as the program's mentor, welcomes back nine of his 12-runner contingent from last year's NCAC Championship meet.

"We're definitely really excited about the potential that this group has," said Rice. "I thought we established quite a bit last fall, in terms of setting the tone for the future. That was one of the ultimate goals last fall, to set us up to be prepared to challenge the top teams in the conference and in the region the upcoming season. I thought the women did an outstanding job with the way they progressed through the fall last year, and then, what they accomplished in track indicates that they're capable of doing big things this upcoming season."

Rice has balanced senior class that consists of seven student-athletes who have wide-ranging cross country experience at the College, and that could provide a big boost to the team's camaraderie come the championship portion of the season.

"We have an experienced group of seniors mixed in with some new seniors to the cross country team," commented Rice. "It's a great mixture within this group setting, which is going to make it exciting for the program as a whole. The leadership will set the tone for the program, and I'm confident that all seven seniors bring certain capabilities to the program in terms of leadership."

Kayla Zboran, a 2015 All-North Coast Athletic Conference performer, will look to lead the way and should continue to be the team's No. 1 runner. The senior also earned All-Ohio honors last year, and has showcased the ability to peak right at the championship portion of the season on numerous occasions.

Classmates Jacquelyn White and Katie Wilson both took the next step in their progression last year, as the duo both earned a spot as part of the 12-runner NCAC contingent, and White went on to be one of Wooster's seven competitors at the regional meet.

The team could potentially receive a big boost in Emily Reid, who was an impact contributor as a freshman (29th at NCAC Championships), but has been slowed by an array of injuries in each of the last two seasons.

Other seniors looking to provide veteran leadership this year encompass Katie Cameron, Megan Koeneman, and Nancy Valverde, two of which are first-time members of the cross country team.

The junior class took big strides a year ago, and will look to do likewise in 2016.

Mackenzie Kellar leads that class, and emerged as the team's No. 2 runner, and will look to remain as one of Wooster's leading finishers. She is coming off of a top-35 outing at the NCAC meet, and has a track record of success in multiple events at the conference level in track & field throughout her career.

Ashley Ferguson was a key contributor last year, and showed the capability to deliver big-meet performances, headlined by a top-seven team finish at the All-Ohio Championships.

Wooster's rising sophomore class came in last year and made an immediate impact. The potential of this group could provide another lift to the team come late October.

Emani Kelley and Collier Summay headline the sophomore class, and both were typically among the top four finishers in 2015. They were the third and fourth Fighting Scots harriers to cross at the NCAC Championships and the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Regional Championship in 2015.

Sophie Hawkins and Julia Higgins complement Wooster's other sophomore duo, and could have big things in store for 2016. Both peaked at the right time in 2015 earning starts at the NCAC Championships, and Higgins went on to be a key all-conference, record-setting relay contributor on the track.

Other returning non-letterwinners and several first-years also have the potential to challenge for spots in the top 12.

Said Rice, "We know we have to work a little bit on closing the gap between the No. 1 and the No. 5 runner. I feel very confident that we have a number of women on this team who are capable of filling into those spots to enhance the overall strength of the team."

Wooster will host three meets this season, including its season lid-lifter on Sept. 1 when the Scots compete at the Wooster Invitational at the L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course.