MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University cross country team is prepping for the 2017 season. The Blue Angels have continually pushed the envelope every season as each runner progressively knocks down their race times.

2016 was one of the "longest" seasons in school history as 6-of-7 races this year were on six kilometer courses. The Blue Angels were up to the task, however long the season might have been. Finishing 10-of-14 and 11-of-13 in their first two meets, the Blue Angels started placing higher across the entire roster. A 10-of-16 finish at the home turf off fellow Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference school Wisconsin Lutheran College snowballed into a 9-of-15 finish at NCAA DII host UW-Parkside against some of the region's top talent.

The Blue Angels followed that up with a 6-of-13 finish at the Wisconsin Private College Championships, then a 7-of-11 finish at the NACC championship race.

This season the Blue Angels intend to continue the trend as the ever-improving Christina Ishaq (Jr./Milwaukee, Wis.) took big strides in 2016. In 2015, Ishaq was finishing six kilometer races around the 28 minute mark. Now the Blue Angels has cut over 2 minutes off that time, and has consistently placed for the Blue Angels throughout 2016.

Along with Ishaq, Jori Galles (Sr./Waukesha, Wis.) returns this season after an outstanding finish to her 2016 campaign. Galles missed the first two races of the year, but then finished the season with a 23:53.6 time at the 6-K NCAA DIII Regional Championship.

This season, the Blue Angels compete in an almost mirror image of the 2016 schedule. As cross country course generally alternate from 6-k to 5-k, the Blue Angels will more often have the shorter races this season. Starting off the year at the Tom Barry Invitational has been a challenging litmus test. Last year MMU finished 10-of-14 at the TBI, and witnessed Carlie O'Donnell cut nearly a minute off her pervious personal collegiate record.

As the entire team continues to minimize their race times, the progressing cross country program prepares for another season with their best foot forward. Stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com for more updates on all your favorite Blue Angels.

Returners

Sarah Anklam                    5-6          Jr.           St Marys, Ga. / Camden County

Jori Galles                            5-3          Sr.           Waukesha, Wis. / Waukesha North

Christina Ishaq                  5-4          Jr.           Milwaukee, Wis. / Rufus King International

Mary Jenks                         5-4          So.          Wild Rose, Wis. / Wild Rose

Carlie O'Donnell                5-6          Jr.           Sharon, Wis. / Big Foot HS

Newcomer

Ashley Tannert                 Jr.           New Berlin, Wis. / New Berlin West