Lady Jackets Cross Country Places Pair on HCAC Watch List

GREENWOOD, Ind. – With a very young DC women's cross country squad set to take on the 2013 season, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference cross country coaches have selected the Purple and Gold to finish eighth. Junior Marissa Bussard and sophomore Sadie Daeger represented DC on the Preseason HCAC Player to Watch List. [Release]

This is the first time Bussard has made the preseason watch list, as she returns for her third season with the Lady Jacket Harriers. The Bloom-Carroll High product put together a solid sophomore campaign, improving her times with each race and setting a new personal-best time of 23:52.4 at the Wilmington Fall Classic. Bussard also excelled in the classroom by earning HCAC Academic All-Conference.

Daeger joins Bussard as a first-time member on the HCAC Player to Watch List. The local Defiance, Ohio native was successful in her first season with the Purple and Gold last year, finishing among the squads top-three runners on three occasions. Her best outing came at Wilmington, when she clocked in a career time of 21.59.5 to finish first on the team. It was the fastest mark of any runner on the season.

For the top teams in the preseason poll, the Spartans of Manchester totaled 97 points for first and will be shooting for a fifth-consecutive HCAC Championship. Other strong contenders looking to end the Spartans streak are Hanover at 90 points and Franklin with 83. Rounding out the top-five are Anderson with 69 and Bluffton at 55 points. DC totaled 35 points for eighth.

DC will open the 2013 season at the Manchester-Hokum Karem meet on August 31 in North Manchester, Ind. The meet is scheduled for 10:00 AM.