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Show 14 ATHIFTIfS Jessica Smith Staff Reporter While most students have just arrived to campus, Westminsters athletes have already put in hours of practice. Several teams have started their seasons, and others are soon to follow. Westminsters cross country teams have a new coach this season: Dan Quinn. Quinn has been 1 named the Utah High School Activities Association Track Coach of the Year six times. I think the new coaching staff brings great energy; to the team, said Katrina England, a junior cross country runner, I am excited. The cross country team will travel to their first meet, the Roger Curran Invitational in Nampa, Idaho on Saturday, Sept. 8. The couriers wont have a home meet this season. Westminster Other teams have produced notable athletes and leaders, including womens volleyball. Stephanie Jones Morin, a senior hitter with a career high of 14 kills and Ashley Marchant, a senior hitter with a career high of 18 kills, are two of the team members. In their first home games of the season, the womens team swept the College of St. Marys 0 to win the Westminster Tournament of Champions. The womens next home game will be Saturday, Sept. 8 against Montana Western at 2 p.m. Both men and womens Griffin soccer teams kicked their season off with a win against Avila University (Kansas City, Missouri) the first weekend that school was in session. While the womens team had a higher scoring game than the mens team, with 6 and 2 goals respectively, both teams shut out their opponents. Coach Chris Dorich, the head coach of mens soccer at Westminster, said that this year the teams strength lies in defense and midfield. One of their strongest forwards graduated last May, so the team is still assembling their offense. Dorich said that each year incoming freshmen have to adjust to a faster speed of play and more rigorous coursework. With this years freshmen, he a good transition said, is happening, but its not highest-performi- complete. Players come in with experience in club ball or a high school team, and college players react much faster in a game. ng Westminsters mens soccer has a record of high performance both on the field and in the classroom. 3-- Last year, the team had nine National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics scholastic on the team. Dorich and the team plan to strive for this type of academic success in the All-Americ- ans year as well. Womens soccer head 2012-201- 0 v 1 t i ar " A I r - ,'i'" i t coach Tony LeBlanc and his team has high expectations to meet. Of all the teams in the Frontier Conference, they are projected to take the championship. One of the women griffins assets this season is offense. Our forwards are danLeBlanc said. gerous, Having scored ten goals in their first two games of the season is all that he could ask for. LeBlanc said the team has three or four excellent forwards. Alyssa Hill, a senior forward, has scored in every game. Everyone is scoring, LeBlanc said, its a great problem to have. To keep up with Griffins fall sports or check scheduling, visit f fbniriTiiiBfii c 3 "i T |