Nov. 16, 2005

Men's track will be added as an official sport for the 2006-07 season at the University of San Francisco as announced by USF Athletic Director Bill Hogan today. Women's track made its official debut last season. The addition of men's and women's track should bolster a rapidly improving cross-country program which has turned in record setting years the last two seasons under Lehman-Winter's guidance.

"We are extremely pleased that the University of San Francisco has decided to officially add men's track," USF head track and cross country coach Helen Lehman-Winters said. "Our distance runners will now have an opportunity to qualify for NCAA's in both the fall and the spring. The formal addition of men's track will have a significant impact on the caliber of distance runners we are able to attract as well as provide us with the opportunity to take our distance program to a higher level."

USF saw instant payoff from the addition of women's track for the 2005 season as the women's cross country team posted a runner-up finish in the 2004 West Coast Conference Championships - the best ever showing by a Dons team. The men's squad followed with a runner-up showing in 2005 at the league championships.

Lehman-Winters believes the addition of a men's team is essential to continued competitiveness in the demanding WCC.

"Portland has set the standard of excellence in the West Coast Conference and we believe adding men's track will provide us with the opportunity to develop our distance runners in the spring in preparation for the fall cross country season. Our goal is to challenge for top honors in the conference. One season (cross country and track) builds upon the previous one, so we are excited about establishing ourselves as a force in both cross country and middle/long distances on the track," Lehman-Winters said.