LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Lock Haven University men’s and women’s head cross country coach Aaron Russell has announced his 2007 recruiting class.

Joining the Bald and Lady Eagles later this month will be nine men and seven women all of whom will look to make their impact on the course this fall.

The Bald Eagles will be looking for their fifth straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship is 2007 and have won the three out of the last four NCAA Division II East Region titles.

Along with the talented recruiting class the Bald Eagles return plenty of experience and talent in the forms of six harriers.

“With only six returning upperclassmen, the success of this year’s men’s team is going to depend on how the nine newcomers can step in and contribute,” Russell said. “Eight of the nine freshmen have experience at their state championships, so they shouldn’t be intimidated in the more important meets.”

Tim Getz (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg), Nick Hilton (Reading, Pa./Exeter) and Josh Trego (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) have been competing against one-another for four years now, having gone 4-5-8 at last year’s always-competitive Pennsylvania District III Championships.

“I think bringing them together on the same squad is going to help them,” Russell said.

Kyle Pepson (Jermyn, Pa./Lakeland) and Justin Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake-Lehman) have been battling it out in Pennsylvania’s District II with Pepson taking the individual title last season while Amy finished fifth.

“Both have tremendous potential that I think is yet to be tapped,” Russell said. “They’re both mid-distance specialists on the track, but I think we can develop them into consistent cross country runners utilizing the speed to their advantage.

Adding to the mix from New England is Andrew “A.J.” Johnson (Coventry, R.I./Coventry), who was always in the mix at the top of Rhode Island’s state championships. Johnson has also represented Rhode Island at various New England and National Championship events and with A.J. the longer the distance the better.

Alden Sims (Venus, Pa./Cranberry) should have no problem adjusting to college competition as he has been tearing up the summer biathlon circuit, taking the United States Junior National Title in July while qualifying for the World Championships in Estonia.

Kyle Harvey (Shinglehouse, Pa./Oswayo Valley) and Brian Jensen (Englishtown, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) both have the desire and capability to add to the depth of our programs.

“They’ve been working hard this summer, and I think they’re going to reap the benefits of all their hard training,” Russell added. Though they don’t have the accolades to show it right now, they both have the desire and motivation to get the job done.

The Lady Eagles finished sixth at last years PSAC championship which was three-spot improvement from the year before. Following their sixth-place showing at the conference meet they went to an impressive seventh-place showing at the East Region championships.

The women’s team adds a smaller group of rookies to the mix this year than their male counterparts. They do however have a large group returnees and the combination should prove to be exactly what the Lady Eagles need.

Joining the Haven’s eight returnees will seven athletes who will look to continue the Lady Eagles climb to the top.

Perhaps the most untested runner in the lineup is Erika Meling Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central). A former field hockey player, Meling decided to go out for the cross country team as a senior and proceeded to blossom as the season progressed. By year’s end, she finished eighth at New Jersey’s Meet of Champions.

“A bit green to the sport as of yet, Erika has the capability of developing leaps and bounds,” Russell said. “I’m very excited to see where she fits in with the rest of the team.”

Joining Meling is a large group of women out of New Jersey including Erin Bermingham (Shrewsbury, N.J./Red Bank), Jenelle Gobeland (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) and Alexis Patrick (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) all of whom will look to boost the efforts of this year’s squad.

From Pennsylvania, Leah Heald (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro), Ashley Ligon (Lansdowne, Pa./George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Sciences) and Kelly Titus (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock North) will be enlisted to help the Lady Eagles program.

“Our freshmen class of women is very untested, which I find very exciting,” Russell said. “When you put a hard working group together with a common goal, amazing things can happen.”

Men:

Justin Amy

Lake-Lehman HS, Sweet Valley, Pa.

Exploratory Studies

PRs: 800m~1:57.85; 5000m~16:36

*2007 PIAA AA District II XC Medalist (5th)

*2006, 2005 PIAA AA State XC Qualifier

*2007 PIAA AA District II T&F Champion (800m)

*2007 PIAA AA District II T&F Runner-Up (4x400; 4x800)

*2007 PIAA AA State T&F Medalist (800~8th)

*2006 PIAA AA State T&F Qualifier

Tim Getz

Lampeter-Strasburg HS, Lancaster, Pa.

Pre-Physical Therapy

PRs: Mile~4:27.39; 3200m~9:34.38; 5000m~16:08

*2006 PIAA AAA State XC Qualifier (30th)

*2007 PIAA AAA State T&F Qualifier (3200m)

Kyle Harvey

Oswayo Valley HS, Shinglehouse, Pa.

Secondary Education

Nick Hilton

Exeter HS, Reading, Pa.

Broadcast Journalism

PRs: Mile~4:13.89; 3200m~9:28.00; 5000m~16:06

*2007, 2006 Berks County XC Champion

*2006 PIAA AAA State XC Qualifier (29th)

*2007 PIAA AAA State T&F Medalist (Mile)

Brian Jensen

Red Bank Catholic HS, Englishtown, N.J.

Health & Physical Education

Andrew “A.J.” Johnson

Coventry HS, Coventry, R.I.

Environmental Biology

PRs: 3000m~8:54; 5000m~15:58

Kyle Pepson

Lakeland HS, Jermyn, Pa.

Exploratory Studies

PRs: 400m~51.8; 800m~1:56.1; Mile~4:28; 5000m~16:04

*2007 PIAA AA District II XC Champion

*2006 PIAA AA State XC Medalist (8th)

*2007 PIAA AA District II T&F Champion (4x400; 4x800)

*2007 PIAA AA District II T&F Runner-Up (800m)

*2007, 2006 PIAA AA State T&F Medalist (4x800~3rd)

Alden Sims

Cranberry HS, Venus, Pa.

Health Science

*2007 USA Junior National Biathlon (Summer) Champion

Josh Trego

Twin Valley HS, Morgantown, Pa.

Exploratory Studies

*2007 Berks County XC Runner-Up

*2006 PIAA AAA State XC Qualifier

*2007 PIAA AAA State T&F Qualifier (Mile)

Women:

Erin Bermingham

Red Bank Regional HS, Shrewsbury, N.J.

Elementary Education

PRs: Mile~5:36

Jenelle Gobel

Brick Memorial HS, Brick, N.J.

Health & Physical Education

PRs: 3200m~12:07; 5000m~20:33

Leah Heald

Interboro HS, Prospect Park, Pa.

Health & Physical Education

Ashley Ligon

George Washington Carver HS of Engineering & Sciences, Lansdowne, Pa.

Mathematics

PRs: 400m~57; 800m~2:17

Erika Meling

West Morris Central HS, Long Valley, N.J.

Health & Physical Education

PRs: 5000m~18:46

*2006 NJSIAA XC Meet or Champions Medalist (8th)

Alexis Patrick

Southern Regional HS, Manahawkin, N.J.

Pre-Physician Assistant

PRs: 800m~2:26; Mile~5:31; 3200m~12:04; 5000m~19:47

Kelly Titus

Council Rock North HS, Richboro, Pa.

Secondary Education