Veteran Leadership to Guide Cross Country in 2010
8/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Aug. 10, 2010
HOUSTON - Youth headlined Houston cross country's success a year ago. Without the use of a competing senior between the men's and women's teams, head coach Ryan Turner ran freshmen and sophomores in every race but one in 2009.
The Cougars responded to the challenge. The women's team racked up two victories and two more top-five efforts, including the ladies' second-straight top-five Conference USA finish. On the men's side, the Cougars notched a win of their own to accompany the team's three top-five performances.
This season, however, Turner and Co., will bring a new mindset to the table. Since the fourth-year head coach took the reins, both of his teams will sport a veteran roster.
"For the first time since I've been here, it's nice to not have to rely on the freshmen to step in and contribute right away," Turner said. "We have a core of young men and women who are a talented group."
WOMEN
In 2010, the nucleus will consist of four juniors, a sophomore and two seniors to lead the way for the squad's three incoming freshmen. Turner went to work building the women's roster. He did so with a trio of freshmen, highlighted by early signee Julie Reinwald.
"Julie was competitive the first time I saw her," Turner said. "She wasn't winning, but she left no doubt that she was the most athletic runner in the race. She's still in the developmental stage but she can come in and be as talented as any of the women we have on our team."
Reinwald and her fellow freshmen will have a crew of veterans to look to for guidance as they begin their Cougar careers, starting with senior co-captains Erica Hannemann and Jasmine Trier.
A fifth-year senior, Hannemann redshirted last year's cross country and indoor track seasons before competing in the 2010 outdoor season. On the track, she excels in the 1,500m, with personal best times of 4:38.15 and 2:14.37 in the 800m. With her final cross country season upon her, Turner looks to Hannemann to set the example with her strong work ethic.
"It is rewarding to see someone so committed to her teammates," Turner said. "She's been a big reason why our program has evolved over the past four years. It's very encouraging to see her development as a runner and as a person."
Trier opened last season with a 15th-place finish at the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational. She posted a progressively better time in each of her five attempts at the mile during the indoor season and notched a first-place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Mesa Classic last spring.
The core of the team will likely center around the four juniors, as none of them missed a single race last fall. Comprised of Starla Garcia, Ciera Johnson, Megan Munoz and C-USA All-Academic member Brandi Witte, the group's consistency helped the team to its best finish - seventh place - in the NCAA South Central Regional Championship since joining Conference USA in 1996.
Garcia won the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational to kick off the season a year ago, while all four juniors racked up two or more top-25 finishes as sophomores.
Kathryn Ducommun will round out the lineup as the one and only sophomore, and her talent is equally unique. In her collegiate debut, Ducommun took third at the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational, crossing the finish just one second behind Garcia. Her trio of top-25 finishes in 2009 ranks second among the Cougar returners, giving Turner an added reason to feel positive about the future.
"The reason why we've been able to finish fifth in the conference in back-to-back years is because we have a group of girls who have a lot of respect for each other but at the same time really compete against each other," Turner said. "The key to being successful in cross country is to establish enough competition in practice so they learn how to race."
"The reason we were so successful on the women's side and are getting there on the men's side is that now there's not a given that you're going to make the top seven," he explained. "They have to compete for those spots and the only way to do that is in practice. Late in the season when we get to regionals it's simple; the fastest seven are going to run. If an athlete wants to run, they need to go beat somebody."
MEN
Without a senior anywhere near the roster, two freshmen and six sophomores made up the 2009 squad. A banded crew of rookies, they were able to post a win, three top-five performances and a pair of 13th-place finishes.
This season will play witness to several familiar faces transforming from underclassmen to seasoned veterans as Turner will welcome back five returners for their junior seasons.
"Our group of juniors are all ready to have a breakout year," Turner said. "Typically, with men it takes them a couple of years of training to come from being high school boys to collegiate men. Between their sophomore and junior seasons, you see a lot of physical maturation. This group of juniors should all see a dramatic performance after two years of collegiate training. I expect everyone to step up this year, and they expect to step it up as well."
Nate Pineda should pick up where he left off as the team's most successful runner the past two seasons. The 2009 All-Conference selection led the Cougars with four top-20 finishes, including the team-best 19th-place finish at the C-USA Championships.
Sophomore David Smith will start the season competing with the junior leader for the coveted No. 1 spot. Smith kicked off his rookie campaign with back-to-back fourth-place finishes and finished second on the team at the Conference USA Championships - just eight seconds behind Pineda. He joined Pineda on the 2009 All-Conference USA team.
"It wouldn't surprise me to see David step up and maybe take that No. 1 role and help Nate," Turner said. "It's a friendly competition. The more David improves, in turn, the more Nate improves. Internal competition builds your program. I hope we have five guys all trying to be our No. 1 guy."
Turner will continue to create that competitive base as he welcomes in a freshmen recruiting crew led by Killeen, Texas, native, Drevan Anderson.
"He's a guy that can come in right away and really run with our top guys," Turner said. "He ran a 4:15 mile in high school. Our next goal is to get him to 4:00. When you think about Division I athletes, he's what you're looking for."
Aside from Pineda and Smith, the rookie class will compete alongside the remaining four juniors that round out the Cougar roster.
Combined, the four juniors missed just two races last season while collecting five, top-20 finishes. Cole Bessner started his sophomore season placing ninth and eighth respectively, at the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational and the LSU Tiger Festival.
Anthony Jordan and Andres Santaolalla did not race in the Cougars' home opener but proved to be strong competitors for the remainder of the season. Jordan posted a pair of top-25 finishes before placing 26th at the Conference USA Championships while Santaolalla placed 27th. Keller logged three top-25 finishes to further cement the confidence Turner has in his 2010 squad.
"These guys are on the cusp of competing for the top-three spots in the conference this year," Turner said. "I know there are a lot of other schools in our conference with the same goal. But I can say with conviction that this year, they really want it. We were close to fourth place last year, just six points out of fourth. That's everybody just passing one more guy.
"They know how close they are. It's just a matter of executing our race plan and having a little bit of luck on race day. You can beat anybody with a little luck, confidence and will power."
Players Mentioned
