SIUC women’s head coach Don DeNoon said he believes his team has a good opportunity to defeat both teams.

It appears they’re (Kansas) vulnerable, he said. They lost their number one and two runners to graduation, and their number three runner from last year isn’t on the entry list. Southern Indiana’s top runner is academically ineligible, but it should still be a strong meet.

DeNoon said a runners may not be able to compete in the meet.

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Beth Bayser is having some problems with her knee, and we don’t have the eligibility status for Mary Tucker, so she won’t be able to run, he said. Also, Kelly French’s bronchitis is getting better, but it will be her call if she runs this weekend. Even at her worst, she is still one of our top five.

French could not be reached for comment.

Kansas comes into SIUC as defending two time District Five champs and placed 18th at the NCAA championships, but comes back without their top two runners due to graduation. They have, however, added two recruited freshmen who were All-State runners in high school:Ann DeVeaux, a freshman from Schaumburg, and Erica Blackwell, a freshman from Lawrence, Kan.

Southern Indiana (Division II) invades SIUC without their top runner, Jennifer Galbraith, who placed 14th in the national Division II meet, and was an NCAA Division II All-American. Their top recruits include Christy Moore, a freshman from Nashville, Ind., and Shannon Kost, a freshman from Tecumseh, Ind. Both qualified for the Indiana state high school meet last year.

As far as depth goes for the Salukis, DeNoon said he is solid eight deep.

We’ve had four freshmen step up, and four of our returning runners are also stepping up, he said. So we’re solid eight deep. Sharlene Downing is really adjusting well, and running really well. So is Colleen Bouck.

The women start their meet at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Saturday morning behind SIU Arena.

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