Lehigh University Athletics
Photo by: Don Paul
Women’s Cross Country Welcomes Five Newcomers in Class of 2020
7/29/2016 2:44:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With the 2016 season set to begin five weeks from today, head women's cross country coach Debbie Utesch has announced the addition of five incoming freshman for the 2016 season that will make up the team's class of 2020.
"I'm excited to have so much local talent being infused into our program," Utesch said. "We have three incoming freshman from District XI at Easton, Wilson Area and Pleasant Valley High Schools. There's also one girl from the Skyland Conference just over the border in New Jersey, which gets a large local following. With the influx of local talent, it shows that Lehigh's program is being recognized by the local schools as a place to go to continue their career and to have a pretty close local following. I think some of our new faces have a chance to immediately impact our success and fill in our top seven."
Utesch also feels the group is well balanced to cover multiple events in track and field because of their different specialties.
"We have a tremendous balance…steeplechase specialist in Ashleigh Crawford, middle-distance specialists in Jenn Mickens and Diana Hammerstone, and a distance specialist in Hannah Bonaguidi. It's a good mix to cover all those events."
In addition to the five incoming freshman, Lehigh will also add sophomore Maura Henderson to this year's cross country lineup. Henderson is coming off a solid track season where she scored in the steeplechase at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships, one of four top 10 finishes she tallied at the meet. During the indoor season, she was a member of the 4x800 relay team that set a new school record and took home bronze.
Hannah Bonaguidi – Frenchtown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional
Bonaguidi comes to Lehigh from Delaware Valley Regional High School in New Jersey, where she placed fifth in the N.J. Meet of Champions in cross country and was a high school national qualifier in the mile in indoor track. She also competed in the indoor mile at the Millrose Games. She was a first team all-state and All-Skyland Conference selection, and was named the conference's Runner of the Year.
Utesch on Bonaguidi: "Hannah had tremendous success during her senior cross country season. She probably had the fastest time we've ever had coming into our program at the (at the N.J. state meet course). She finished fifth in the N.J. Meet of Champions in cross country which is a very hilly, challenging course, so as we get into our championship season on the Penn State course that will play into her favor. She struggled through injury during the outdoor track season, so I'm cautiously optimistic about her impact. She absolutely has the talent and the mindset to be a tremendous Patriot League athlete as long as she is patient with her return from injury."
Sydney Brannon – Hellertown, Pa./Wilson Area
Brannon joins Lehigh after being an All-Colonial League pick in both cross country and outdoor track at Wilson Area High School. She was a four-time Pennsylvania state qualifier in cross country and a District XI AA runner-up in the 1600m and 3200m in outdoor track.
Utesch on Brannon: "She was a dual sport athlete in high school, so she has a pretty big upside if she makes the adjustment to running all three seasons (cross country, indoor and outdoor track). I think we'll see her impact at first in the middle distance events."
Ashleigh Crawford – Tully, N.Y./Tully Junior-Senior
From upstate New York, Crawford was a member of Tully Junior-Senior High's Class D state champion cross country teams in 2013 and 2014, and individually added a trio of top-six finishes, including a runner-up performance in 2014. A four-time all-state selection in cross country, she was a three-time all-league pick in track and field, setting three school records in the 2,000m steeplechase, 4x800m relay and distance medley relay.
Utesch on Crawford: "She had a tremendous senior season in the steeplechase. Typically steeplechasers are pretty tough and used to the terrain changes in cross country, so I think she's going to have a great impact coming in and being able to handle the 6,000m cross country distance."
Diana Hammerstone – Easton, Pa./Easton
From nearby Easton, Hammerstone is a four-time Morning Call First Team selection and an Express-Times First Team pick in 2015. She is a three-time league medalist and four-time league all-star, and finished runner-up in the 2015 East Penn Conference in cross country.
Utesch on Hammerstone: "She has a lot of success in both cross country and track. She knows our course very well having a raced here while at Easton High School and was an award winner on our course at Paul Short this past fall. Since we have championships coming up on our course in the next couple of years, I expect her to make the transition to the Lehigh cross country program very easily."
Jenn Mickens – Sciota, Pa./Pleasant Valley
Mickens was a two-time PIAA state qualifier during her cross country career at Pleasant Valley High School. She was selected as the Times News Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 2016, where she is the school's record holder in the 800m, 1600m, and the 4x800 relay team. She is a two-time District XI champion in the 800m run and was a three-time state indoor qualifier, as well as a four-time state outdoor qualifier.
Utesch on Mickens: "Another District XI girl with tremendous leg speed. On the track, she has really shown some great stuff in the 800m and the 1600m, so I expect her to be challenged by the 6,000m distance. She's a great personality coming into our program and her leg speed is really going to show up in cross country workouts."
Lehigh will open up competition on Friday, Sept. 2 on the Goodman Campus Course by hosting the Lehigh Invitational.
Lehigh Women's Cross Country Class of 2020
"I'm excited to have so much local talent being infused into our program," Utesch said. "We have three incoming freshman from District XI at Easton, Wilson Area and Pleasant Valley High Schools. There's also one girl from the Skyland Conference just over the border in New Jersey, which gets a large local following. With the influx of local talent, it shows that Lehigh's program is being recognized by the local schools as a place to go to continue their career and to have a pretty close local following. I think some of our new faces have a chance to immediately impact our success and fill in our top seven."
Utesch also feels the group is well balanced to cover multiple events in track and field because of their different specialties.
"We have a tremendous balance…steeplechase specialist in Ashleigh Crawford, middle-distance specialists in Jenn Mickens and Diana Hammerstone, and a distance specialist in Hannah Bonaguidi. It's a good mix to cover all those events."
In addition to the five incoming freshman, Lehigh will also add sophomore Maura Henderson to this year's cross country lineup. Henderson is coming off a solid track season where she scored in the steeplechase at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships, one of four top 10 finishes she tallied at the meet. During the indoor season, she was a member of the 4x800 relay team that set a new school record and took home bronze.
Hannah Bonaguidi – Frenchtown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional
Bonaguidi comes to Lehigh from Delaware Valley Regional High School in New Jersey, where she placed fifth in the N.J. Meet of Champions in cross country and was a high school national qualifier in the mile in indoor track. She also competed in the indoor mile at the Millrose Games. She was a first team all-state and All-Skyland Conference selection, and was named the conference's Runner of the Year.
Utesch on Bonaguidi: "Hannah had tremendous success during her senior cross country season. She probably had the fastest time we've ever had coming into our program at the (at the N.J. state meet course). She finished fifth in the N.J. Meet of Champions in cross country which is a very hilly, challenging course, so as we get into our championship season on the Penn State course that will play into her favor. She struggled through injury during the outdoor track season, so I'm cautiously optimistic about her impact. She absolutely has the talent and the mindset to be a tremendous Patriot League athlete as long as she is patient with her return from injury."
Sydney Brannon – Hellertown, Pa./Wilson Area
Brannon joins Lehigh after being an All-Colonial League pick in both cross country and outdoor track at Wilson Area High School. She was a four-time Pennsylvania state qualifier in cross country and a District XI AA runner-up in the 1600m and 3200m in outdoor track.
Utesch on Brannon: "She was a dual sport athlete in high school, so she has a pretty big upside if she makes the adjustment to running all three seasons (cross country, indoor and outdoor track). I think we'll see her impact at first in the middle distance events."
Ashleigh Crawford – Tully, N.Y./Tully Junior-Senior
From upstate New York, Crawford was a member of Tully Junior-Senior High's Class D state champion cross country teams in 2013 and 2014, and individually added a trio of top-six finishes, including a runner-up performance in 2014. A four-time all-state selection in cross country, she was a three-time all-league pick in track and field, setting three school records in the 2,000m steeplechase, 4x800m relay and distance medley relay.
Utesch on Crawford: "She had a tremendous senior season in the steeplechase. Typically steeplechasers are pretty tough and used to the terrain changes in cross country, so I think she's going to have a great impact coming in and being able to handle the 6,000m cross country distance."
Diana Hammerstone – Easton, Pa./Easton
From nearby Easton, Hammerstone is a four-time Morning Call First Team selection and an Express-Times First Team pick in 2015. She is a three-time league medalist and four-time league all-star, and finished runner-up in the 2015 East Penn Conference in cross country.
Utesch on Hammerstone: "She has a lot of success in both cross country and track. She knows our course very well having a raced here while at Easton High School and was an award winner on our course at Paul Short this past fall. Since we have championships coming up on our course in the next couple of years, I expect her to make the transition to the Lehigh cross country program very easily."
Jenn Mickens – Sciota, Pa./Pleasant Valley
Mickens was a two-time PIAA state qualifier during her cross country career at Pleasant Valley High School. She was selected as the Times News Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 2016, where she is the school's record holder in the 800m, 1600m, and the 4x800 relay team. She is a two-time District XI champion in the 800m run and was a three-time state indoor qualifier, as well as a four-time state outdoor qualifier.
Utesch on Mickens: "Another District XI girl with tremendous leg speed. On the track, she has really shown some great stuff in the 800m and the 1600m, so I expect her to be challenged by the 6,000m distance. She's a great personality coming into our program and her leg speed is really going to show up in cross country workouts."
Lehigh will open up competition on Friday, Sept. 2 on the Goodman Campus Course by hosting the Lehigh Invitational.
Lehigh Women's Cross Country Class of 2020
| Name | Class | Hometown | High School | Major |
| Hannah Bonaguidi | Fr. | Frenchtown, N.J. | Delaware Valley Regional | Computer Science |
| Sydney Brannon | Fr. | Hellertown, Pa. | Wilson Area | Engineering |
| Ashleigh Crawford | Fr. | Tully, N.Y. | Tully Junior-Senior | Engineering |
| Diana Hammerstone | Fr. | Easton, Pa. | Easton Area | Engineering |
| Jenn Mickens | Fr. | Sciota, Pa. | Pleasant Valley | Arts and Sciences |
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
MHT EP5 - Women's Cross Country
Thursday, November 13
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Cross Country
Wednesday, October 15
2025 Lehigh Women's Cross Country Season Preview
Thursday, August 28
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Cross Country
Wednesday, October 09
