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At the mile-mark of the NCAA Cross Country Championship race last year, Alison Costello was not where she expected to be.

In fact, she was dead last.

Throughout most of her freshman year, Costello had consistently been a scoring finisher on the women’s team, and rightfully had high expectations heading into the season’s final and most important meet.

But a disastrous fall in the first 600 meters of the championships placed the opportunity to contribute out of her reach.

“I didn’t even know if I should stop or keep going,” the sophomore said.

While the team finished an impressive seventh, its highest national finish under current head coach Eric Peterson, Costello was disappointed with her personal performance.

Now with a chance to prove herself once more, Costello is in a good position to be the top-scoring member on the team this season.

She began the 2004 campaign on Sept. 4 by leading the No. 8 Bruins at the USF Invitational to a second-place finish, individually placing sixth on the 5-kilometer course.

“Alison is very hungry,” Peterson said. “I’m not surprised to see her head the team.”

Although young – she is a true sophomore – Costello already has enough experience under her belt to run at the front of the pack. Rebounding from her frustration at the NCAA race in November, she won the U.S. Junior National Women’s Cross Country Championship in February of 2004. The strong field included many of the top finishers from the NCAA meet.

“I wasn’t expecting to win,” Costello said. “But I knew I had another good race in me. It was my nationals, my redemption.”

The outcome of that race gave Costello the opportunity to be part of the team that represented the United States at the IAAF World Championships in Brussels, Belgium. She again turned in a solid performance, as the second-best American finisher, and helped the United States to a fourth-place team finish.

Even with such an impressive resumé, the sophomore knows she need not shoulder the entire burden of leading the team.

“I still look up to the older girls,” Costello said. “Ashley (Caldwell) and Jenna (Timinski) have been such a strong presence for me.”

Caldwell, a redshirt sophomore, and Timinski, a junior, both consistently scored last year. In all, five of the top seven runners will return this year, in addition to acclaimed redshirt junior Alejandra Barrientos, who sat out the 2003 season. The team will look to improve upon last year’s results come November. Barring any mishaps, Costello will surely improve upon her NCAA performance.

“We’d really like to crack the top five,” Costello said. “We’ve got nothing to lose.”