Four-time Villanova all- American, former PA state champion and Foot Locker all- American Frances Koons will be training again before the 2007 cross country season concludes. But she won't be a part of this year's campaign after being diagnosed earlier this summer with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, followed by surgery to remove a tumor on her left kidney. The tumor − the size of a ping pong ball − was removed with the least invasive type of surgery (laparoscopy) at North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, New York. Her surgeon is a pioneer in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Kidney cancer develops most often in people over 40, but no one knows the exact causes of this disease. While there are several risk factors associated with the disease, like smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure, Koons did not fit the typical patient profile. Photo: Koons dominated the Mid-Atlantic Division I Championships in XC in 2006 - photo by Don Rich