The women  captured  second place at the 1997 SSC Championships for their best finish in more than a decade.  Using a balanced team effort, they were able to place seven points ahead of conference rival Tampa.  Kirsten Palacios, Emily White, and Catherine Zavos finished 11th through 13th to lead the Tars.  Erin Mault and Caroline Rich also finished in the top twenty.  The second place finish proved even more satisfying as the squad advanced to the NCAA Southeast  Regionals in Jacksonville, Florida.  In the regional meet the  women were again led by Palacios as they posted a solid 14th place finish.

        The men finished fourth at the 1997 Sunshine State Conference Championships as they were in the midst of what Coach Long calls a rebuilding year.  Injuries and illness plagued the team all season but a foundation has been laid.  The men's future is bright and injury free.  Leading the men during the season were Freshmen Jim Joseph (Chawhassen, MN) and Senior Andy DeMil (Boynton Beach, FL).  Joseph and DeMil finished 15th and 19th respectively at the SSC championships.  Adding depth to the men's team was Junior Chris Boynton (Westport, CT) and Senior's Mike Cooper (Downingtown, PA) and Mark Shanoff (Bethesda, MD).