WOMEN'S
CROSS COUNTRY
1981-1982

Elaine Morford

EDINBORO STATE COLLEGE

LEAPING THE LADY SCOTS

Coach Bill McDonald

Bill McDonald, whosuccessfully guided Edinboro
State's football fortunes
for 10 years to an impres­
sive 54-36-7 record, was
tabbed to coach the Lady
Scots first cross country
team in the school's his­
tory. McDonald was the
impetus behind the for­
mation of both the cross
country and track pro­
grams for women's sports
3, ggC. He began the

women's initial track program in 1980 and after a
year's absence returned to tutor the young Lady
Scots distance hopefuls this past fall.
Prior to his assignment at Edinboro, McDonald
served as assistant football coach at Indiana Uni­
versity of Pa. for three years and head coach at
Hopewell High School from 1958 to 1965. The
Fighting Scot veteran mentor served as an assistant
coach at Braddock High School through two un­
defeated seasons and also at Latrobe High.
McDonald, who currently teaches health and
physical education as well as working in the Career
Counseling and Placement Center at the College,
holds a B.S. degree in education and M.Ed from the
University of Cincinnati (1952). He has also been
involved in post graduate work at Penn State, Pitt and
Indiana (Pa.) Universities.
The Edinboro State coach and his wife Joanne
have three children - Amy, Jody and David. Amy, who
was a high school cross country state champion, now
is a standout runner for West Point while Jody
competes for General McLane High School.

"I almost have to be in two or three places at a
time," laughs the junior accounting major, who is an
honor student, as she explains her hectic schedule.
"Tennis and cross country both practice from 3:00
until 5:30 every afternoon, so I'm forced to alternate
practices. One day. I'll go to cross country practice
and then practice tennis on my own. The next day I'll
do it the other way around. I try to squeeze in a little
supper between practices, but that isn't always
possible.
Competing for Edinboro's first women's cross
country team in the school's history, she won the
distinction of being the first Edinboro runner across
the finish line in the Fighting Scots' first-ever
women's cross country victory. The auspicious event
occurred on September 23 on a three-mile course at
Allegheny College where the Scots prevailed 25-33.
Elaine's 20:05 clocking was good for second place
overall and first among the Boro runners.
The personable Edinboro native and General
McLane grad is modest about her achievements. "I
have to give much of the credit to my parents," she
says. They were the ones who instilled in me the
desire and the will to excel. And my parents are very
athletic, too." Elaine says proudly. "We're a close
family and have always enjoyed playing tennis,
jogging, bicycling, and skiing together. I guess it's
just only natural that I'm athletically inclined."
It would seem to most observers that very few
people could keep up a pace like Elaine's for very
long, but both of her coaches realize that she is a very
special athlete.
Bill McDonald, ESC's cross country coach,
describes Elaine as "a top-notch person both on and
off the athletic field." He adds that she is a very
determined individual who "does whatever it takes to
get the job done."

RUNNERS IN SUCCESSFUL DEBUT
Despite battling the odds of having no recruited
distance runners on campus, Edinboro State's first
women's cross country team in the school's history
made an impressive debut on the intercollegiate
sports scene. The Lady Scots under first-year coach
Bill McDonald recorded a 1 -1 dual match record, won
the Fredonia Invitational title and placed ninth at the
Pennsylvania Conference championships
"I thought we continually improved and did
better than expected," summed McDonald. "The
girls remained very loyal to the program and all who
started with us at the beginning of the year continued
through the entire season," he commented.
McDonald continued by adding "Everyone
should be returning and we hope we can recruit
someone to help us finish in the top half of the
Pennsylvania Conference as well as to enter a
complete team in the eastern regionals. All of our
freshmen could make dramatic improvements by
next year."
With five freshmen forming the roster nucleus of
distance hopefuls, junior Elaine Morford paced the
inexperienced Lady Scots.
The versatile athlete, who was one of the top
netters on the women's tennis team while at the
same time performing for the cross country team,
was the top place getter in six of seven races. She
finished 29th in the EAIAW Eastern Regionals.
'Considering she had never run competively
before, if she keeps at it she'll be a good one,"
projected McDonald. "She is a very organized and
disciplined person."
Freshman Kathy Shockloss was usually at
Morford's heels to form ESC's top duo. The rookie
runner spent the campaign improving her over­
distance techniques since her high school did not

ON THE COVER - ELAINE MORFORD
In these days of athletic specialization, it is a rare
college athlete, indeed, who participates in two
unrelated sports; and virtually unheard of anymore is
the athlete who wins varsity letters in two different
sports in the same season. But Elaine Morford, an
exceptional Edinboro State College coed, is proving
that with enough desire and a little help from her
friends, the feat still can be accomplished.
The 5'4" Morford, who is the daughter of ESC
math and computer sicence professor, Myron Mor­
ford, surely ranked as one of the busiest people on
campus this fall as she juggled her course load with
practice times, and intercollegiate competitions in
both cross country and tennis.

EDINBORO STATE COLLEGE 1981 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ROSTER
NAME
Dixon, Chris
Doyle, Dottie
Hazer, Debra
Morford, Elaine
O'Donoghue, Cathy
Powers, Kelly
Schockloss, Kathy
Stravino, Beverly

HT.

WT.

5-7
5-2
5-6
5-4
5-5
5-2
5-6
5-6

125
105
111
112
120
115
112
125

CLASS
So.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.

HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg
Stoneboro, Pa./Lakeview
Girard, Pa./Girard
Edinboro, Pa./General McLane
Angola, N.Y./Lake Shore
Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny
Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Twp.
Angola, N.Y./Lake Shore

RUNNERS IN SUCCESSFUL DEBUT (CONT'D)
compete in cross country. She did run the mile and
two-mile, however, and demonstrated the potential
to develop into a good collegiate level runner.
Taking turns in the third and fourth positions
throughout the fall were the frosh pair of Cathy
O'Donoghue and Beverly Stravino. O'Donoghue had
posted an 800-meter time of 2:17:3 in high school
and registered a 5:13.6 clocking in the 1500 meters.
Both picked up valuable points during the campaign
while getting acclimated to distance running.
Depended upon for strong finishes to round out
the Lady Scots scoring opportunities were the team's
sole senior, Debbie Hazer, sophomore Chris Dixon
along with freshmen Dottie Doyle and Kelly Powers.
Both Dixon and Hazer snared respective fourth and
fifth place finishes in Edinboro's historic initial win
against Allegheny. Powers grabbed one fourth place
spot and a pair of fifth placp crossings during the
year.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
1981 RESULTS (1-1)
California Invitational - 6th (9 teams, 125 pts.)
ESC - 25
Allegheny - 33
ESC - 40
Slippery Rock - 15
Pennsyivnaia Conference - 9th (12 teams, 235 pts.)

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