The 2022 Kalamazoo College women's cross country team will begin its season on September 10, competing in the Knight Invite at the Gainey Athletic Facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Hornets will look to improve on their fourth-place finish at the MIAA Championships in 2021. The runners reported on August 28 and began training on August 29, continuing until the season starts.
Schedule Breakdown
- The Knight Classic season opener will begin at 10 a.m. on September 10, hosted by Calvin.
- Kalamazoo will run in two meets at the Forest Akers Golf Course in the regular season, where NCAA DIII Nationals is located. The MSU Spartan Invite begins at 11 a.m. on September 16, and the NCAA DIII Pre-Nationals meet starts at 10:30 a.m. on October 1.
- The final regular season meet will be the Augustana College Invite in Rock Island, Ill., beginning at 10:30 a.m. CST on October 15.
- Alma is hosting the MIAA Championships at Shepard HS on October 29, with the race starting at 11 a.m.
- The NCAA DIII Great Lakes Regional meet will be run at the West Ottawa Golf Course on November 12, beginning at 11 a.m.
- On November 19, the NCAA DIII National Championships will head back to Forest Akers Golf Course at 11 a.m.
Roster Breakdown
- Kalamazoo brings back nine runners from the 2021 team and will add seven new members for 16 total heading into 2022.
- The team is led by the lone senior in Anna Varitek and has three juniors, five sophomores, and seven freshmen.
Returning Statistical Leaders
- Four of the top five runners return for the 2022 season in Varitek, Paige Anderson (soph.), Alison Hankins (soph.), and Annalise Bailey (junior).
- Varitek was the second-best finisher Kalamazoo at the MIAA Championships last season in 18th, running a season-best 22:55.2 6K.
- In her first year at the collegiate level, Anderson finished 22nd among MIAA runners and ran a 23:22.0 at the NCAA DIII Regional meet.
- Another first-year was Hankins, who came in 25th at the MIAA Championships and finished with a 24:06.7 at regionals.
- Bailey crossed the line in 41st at the MIAA meet while also running a 25:33.0 at regionals.
Stepping Up
- Maddie Hanulcik is a newcomer to look out for, possibly making an immediate impact toward the top of the group this fall.
- Maya Alkema and Elise Elliot are two more new faces who could strengthen the whole group with Bailey and Grace McGlynn.
Head Coach Kyle Morrison
Coach Morrison returns for his fourth season as the head coach for both the men's and women's cross-country programs. He has accumulated three top-four finishes as a head coach, including a second-place finish for the women at the Knight-Raider Invite in 2021. In addition, he has coached one All-MIAA finisher, Rachael Gallap, who did it twice in 2019 and 2021.
Quoting Coach Morrison
"Last fall, we had a significant momentum shift with the women's team, which has continued to build heading into the 2022 season. Losing all-region runner Rachael Gallap to graduation is tough, but we have a very committed and deep roster heading into this fall. This team is not putting a ceiling on themselves and wants to be a dark horse that surprises people late in the season."