Cross Country teams have high expections as seasons open

9/2/2009 12:43:12 AM

By: Sports Information Office

Bellarmine University will open its fall Cross Country season this Friday evening, September 4th, at the site of the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championships, on the campus of University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. The season opening event is small in size but will feature perennial NCAA II National qualifier and host, University of Southern Indiana, and likely even National Junior College champions, Rend Lake College from Illinois, a Kenyan dominated squad, who last year boasted an Olympic finalist among its scoring members.

Program Director, and Assistant Athletics Director, Jim Vargo recently announced a 2009 Cross Country schedule that may well be the squad's most attractive fall season ever. Included are events to be contested over some of the more 'prestigious' courses in the region. Besides the season opening competition, the schedule also involves meets at the NCAA Division I National course in Terre Haute, IN, plus 'quasi' home events at E.P.Tom Sawyer Park in northeast Louisville, including the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships which Bellarmine will host. The Sawyer Park course has been the site of numerous NAIA National Championships, NCAA Southeast Regionals, and major-Conference competitions in recent years! Also on the schedule is a return trip to the University of Notre Dame for the annual renewal of the National Catholic Championships, and the NCAA Midwest Regional to be contested over the 'National' course at University of Wisconsin-Parkside, which has hosted most every "National" Championship in the country over the past few decades.

"It's a very busy and attractive schedule," Vargo said, "but it compliments the growth of our program, and 'fits' the aspirations of this fall's squad."

Both the men's and women's teams return the bulk of their top ten scorers from last fall, and have added both depth and experience to a program that has high expectations for both the men and the women in the 2009 season.

"We've been working and developing for several years to reach this point," Vargo said. "We finally have accumulated enough talent, depth and experience to make a run, at least on paper, for our Conference championships, and even the NCAA Nationals. We don't want to jump the gun in the way of expectations, but these weren't goals that were even remotely realistic in recent years, and it's refreshing and exciting to see the program reach a point where we can make a reasonable argument for those type performances."

Besides returning much of it's top talent, the program can also boast over 45 men and women members on it's roster. That depth is yet another aspect of the program's growth that is expected to aid in the success of the 2009 season.

"There is definitely an excitement in the air around here," Vargo continued, "but we still have to stay healthy, and go out and do the job. If, however, we can come together on both sides (men and women), like Kris (women's coach Horton) and I both think we can, we will definitely be a force in the Conference and beyond!

Women's Team Outlook

Despite the loss of All-American, and multi-time NCAA qualifier and Conference Champion, Katie Hickey (Cincinnati - 4:31/1500, 9:49/3k, 17:16/5k-indoors), the ladies may be looking at one of their better and deeper teams in recent memory. The squad will be led by any number of top performers, including two time NCAA Provisional Steeplechase qualifier, Kristin Geiger (Villa Hills, KY - 4:48/1500, 11:10/Steeple, 10:26/3k), plus 2009 Conference 5,000 champion, Cristin Samuels (Louisville), and 2008 All-Conference performer, and XC team MVP, Meghan Shagena (Cincinnati - 4:41/1500, 18:07/5000). But the likely #1 spot may fall on second year runner, Carissa Martin (New Albany, IN - 2:16.2, 4:44/1500), who has looked extraordinary in pre-season conditioning.

"We've certainly come a ways in terms of our depth," offered women's XC coach, Kris Horton. "That's going to provide us a big boost...........we feel like we may be the most improved team in the Conference, and possibly even the Region............almost to a person, our returning folks have moved forward in their development, plus we've added a large and talented group of freshman."

Returnees, Amanda Deane (Crestwood, KY - 18:38), Corrie Reiter (Louisville - 18:58-indoors), Lindsay Boyce (Versailles, KY - 4:46, 10:41/3000), and Brianna Foster (Alexandria, IN - 5:18/mile-indoors), should all be counted on to contribute at various points throughout the season. Former sprinter turned distance runner, Kelsey Love (Westfield, IN - 59.2r, 2:18), has also looked impressive in pre-season conditioning, and was one of the team's top finishers in a recent time-trial.

First year runners, Maggie Wagner (Bloomington, IN - 2:20.3, 5:22/1600, 19:25/XC), Samantha Burger (Cincinnati - 5:21/1600, 11:31/3200, 19:25/XC), and Sarah Turi (Louisville - 2:21, 19:37/XC) could also help. Wagner, in particular, has looked sharp in pre-season runs, and could easily be expected to be one of the team's scoring runners throughout the fall season.

"We're excited about the season as a whole, and looking forward to the challenge," said Coach Kris Horton. "I would be very surprised if this group doesn't turn out to be one of our better 'teams' ever as the season progresses. We know it will be tough, and we'll need some luck, but we fully expect to contend for a conference championship, and a spot at NCAA Nationals."

Men's Team Outlook

"We have the makings of one of our better programs ever on the men's side," Vargo said. "All the ingredients are there to be a very successful program, this fall and beyond, and everyone seems to be on the same page with regard to our goal for the season."

The squad has lost only one 'contributing' athlete to graduation in the past two years (Jason Thornsberry), and returns the remainder of it's squad intact, including the strongest second year group in the school's history, plus returning multi-year top-5 scorer, Greg Robinson (Union, KY) after a red-shirt year. The team's depth is such that any of five or six, maybe even seven athletes could end up as the squad's #1 at some point over the course of the year.

"Our depth is definitely our strength," Vargo continued. "We just need to find out if our top end has moved forward sufficiently for us to challenge the best in our Conference and the NCAA Midwest Regional."

Senior Ben Draper (Georgetown, IN), has been the most consistently successful XC athlete over the past few years. The former Conference Freshman-of-the-Year, is a returning All-Conference performer, and recorded the team's top 8K time last fall (25:30). He also has the team's top 10k time (32:38) in XC, and the top placing in the NCAA Regional in recent years. He will be challenged by any number of others, however, including Juniors, Neal Masterson (Jeffersonville, IN - 8:44/3k-indoors, 15:28-indoors, 25:43/XC), and 2009 Indoor Conference 3k titlist, Guy Vandermosten (Burlington, KY - 8:51/3k-indoors, 15:21), as well as second year runners Jordan Parayil (Cincinnati - 4:03/1500, 8:52), Nate Dotterweich (Monticello, IA - 3:58, 8:47), Alex Jones (Sellersburg, IN - 4:01, 15:29, 25:50/XC), and Joey Ward (Newport, WA - 8:56, 9:43/Steeple, 15:33).

First year runners, Joe Mallek (LaGrange, KY - 1:54, 16:03/XC), and Justin Hodge (Greenville, IN - 9:47, 16:05/XC) have also looked strong in pre-season practices, and both may challenge regularly for a scoring place on the team.

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