The 2015 University of South Carolina Aiken cross country team was one of the youngest in the region. However, under the guidance of head coach Kara Kreutzer, the Pacers exceeded expectations at some of the meets while gaining consistency from the young squad as the season wore on. Ultimately, USC Aiken performed well in the six meets and could shine in years to come since it had just one senior on the team.
The Pacers' roster had one senior in Samantha Lisek and only one junior in newcomer Brooke Inman. The rest of the squad was bolstered by four sophomores in Amanda Bruenio, Makayla Dudley, Amber Laughinghouse and Kyah Owusu and a pair of freshmen in Bethany Fordham and Brook Thomas.
In addition to the dyad of rookies, USC Aiken had three more newcomers to collegiate cross country. However, that did not deter Kreutzer or the team – as the squad came together to have a solid campaign.
In five of the six meets, the Pacers were led by a rookie in Fordham. The only time a returner guided the squad was on the muddy course at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship as Bruenio led the team.
At the season-opening meet at the Bobcat Classic, hosted by Georgia College, USC Aiken had Fordham register a fourth-place finish at the 5k event. She posted a time of 23:8 in her first collegiate race, besting the rest of her teammates by at least two minutes. Fordham's effort helped the Pacers record a second-place finish at the meet.
The Pre-conference meet saw USC Aiken record a 19th-place effort. The team was led by Fordham's 63rd-place effort in the 133-person field. At the 6k-event, Fordham crossed the finish line in 26:34.
The squad bounced back to finish second at its lone home meet of the year. Kreutzer's squad had three top-10 runners and all five scorers placed in the top-18 competitors. Fordham notched a time of 21:52.5 for fifth place while Bruenio and Thomas garnered seventh and 10th places, respectively. Lisek posted a 14th-place finish at her last home event of her career. With the outstanding effort, the squad bested Peach Belt Conference foe Francis Marion.
The team made the trek to Florence, S.C., for the Francis Marion Invitational Oct. 16. Fordham once again tallied a top-10 finish, earning a sixth-place effort with a time of 21:23.1. Bruenio was right behind her, crossing the line in 21:29.4. The duo helped guide the Pacers to a third-place finish at the regular-season finale.
USC Aiken continued to push hard and it paid off at the PBC Championship. By running close together, the team improved on the 2014 finish at the conference championship, besting the Patriots for the third straight week. Fordham led the team at the 6k race with a time of 26:47 for 60th place. Bruenio was three spots behind her. Thomas, Lisek and Dudley were 72nd, 76th and 77th, respectively, helping the team best FMU by 23 points.
Competing on a tough course after a day of rain, the Pacers placed 27th at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship, which was hosted by Wingate. This time, Bruenio led USC Aiken – and she did so in fine fashion. The sophomore ran the 6k race in 27:44.1, besting her teammates by nearly two minutes. It marked the first time the second-year runner was at the front for Kreutzer's team, but it also helped build a solid foundation for the 2016 season.
Earlier in the season, Lisek was named to the PBC all-academic team for her work in the classroom.
With seven returners for next season, the Pacers will be able to improve upon what can be described as a solid season.
