At this time last year, Patriot senior Amina Amaddah was about to blossom into a force in Eastern cross country circles.
After finishing second in the 1996 George Mason/Morven Park Invitational, she went on to win the Colonial Athletic Association individual crown and advance to the NCAA Championships in Tucson, AZ, where she finished 61st.
This year, Amaddah has started the 1997 cross country season well ahead of where she left off. In fact, she has won her first two meets of the season, including last Saturday's victory at the Morven Park Invitational. To show her progress, her time was several seconds faster than the year before, under much different circumstances.
"I think all of the experiences she had last year have been beneficial," said Patriot coach Norm Gordon. "So far, she really hasn't been pushed and she's been able to take it easier--which will hopefully keep her fresher and more focused when the big races come around. Last year she ran slower on the course and was running all out. This year's effort was easier and faster!"
Amaddah began the season taking the Bucknell Invitational by nearly 30 seconds. On Saturday, she turned back runner-up Jessica Totaro of Mount St. Mary's by 15 seconds with a winning time of 18:10 over the five-kilometer course in Leesburg.
She will be asked to lead the Patriots once again when they travel to Emmitsburg, MD, for the Mount St. Mary's Invitational this Saturday. Amaddah will try to defend her CAA title in November in Williamsburg, VA.