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HIGH POINT, N.C. – Led by new head coach Remy Tamer, the two-time defending champion Big South women's cross country team opens its title defense Thursday at the Elon Opener.
 
The 4k race will commence at 6 p.m. in Elon, N.C. Fans interested in attending the meet can find directions by clicking here.
 
HPU will be joined in the race by regionally-ranked teams Elon (No. 6), North Carolina (No. 13) and Coastal Carolina (No. 14), as well as UNCG, Meredith College and UNC Pembroke.
 
The Panthers were picked to finish second in the 2016 Big South preseason poll, just one point behind Liberty.
 
The Purple & White return a pair of all-conference selections in 2016. Rising senior Cozette Collin placed sixth at last season's conference meet and will look to earn a top-3 finish as a senior in 2016. Fellow rising senior Natalia Ocasio – a two-time all-Big South pick in cross country – placed seventh at the championship in 2015.
 
Collin and Ocasio are coming off outstanding 2016 outdoor seasons and will be brimming with confidence in the fall. Collin won the Big South 1500-meter title with a meet record time 4:27.23. In addition, the Canadian talent placed third in the 5000m run and was fourth in the 800-meter to pick up an impressive 21 points for the Panthers.
 
Ocasio became the first back-to-back 3000m steeplechase champion in Big South history while cruising to the league title in 10:53.56. Ocasio broke her own HPU school record of 10:29.27 in the event at the Virginia Challenge and advanced to the NCAA preliminary for the first time in her career.
 
In addition, the Panthers welcome back Courtney Kerr, who battled through injuries as a freshman but is back to full strength and ready to make a big impact as a sophomore. The Panthers also will feature rising sophomore Keaton Case in cross country this season after the Springboro, Ohio, product put together a strong freshman campaign in track & field.
 
The Panthers also will welcome a quartet of incoming freshmen into the cross country roster that will add depth and talent to the team. The group includes Emily Boger (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Charis Dinger (Manheim, Pa.), Kylie Hennessey (Waxhaw, N.C.) and Catherine Matteo (Manhasset, N.Y.). A detailed write up on the incoming women's cross country class will be released in the coming weeks.
 
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