SeattleU Cross Country Prepared To Kick Off Competitive Season
SEATTLE, Wash. - After almost three weeks of practice, the Seattle University cross country team is ready to kick off the 2009 campaign, one in which the men's team is young but experienced while the women's team is young and inexperienced.
In 2008, several male runners competed to be the team's top runner, and that competition will continue into the 2009 season. Junior Hans Heitzinger (Scottsdale, Ariz.) set a new Greenlake Time Trial record last weekend, but sophomore Erik Barkhaus (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) was right behind him and is coming off a strong track season. Senior Nicholas Alvarado (San Francisco, Calif.) ran a solid race in his first competition in over a year, and returning runners Matthew McClement (Bellingham, Wash.) and Michael Van Nuland (Newcastle, Wash.) also challenged for the top positions at the time trial.
"I feel like the men's team is the deepest since I have been here, and maybe has the most depth ever," head coach Trisha Steidl said. "Every single person on that team has the ability to be in the top ten, and it's actually a cool feeling not knowing who is going to be in the top five or seven on a week-to-week basis. These guys are committed, they are pushing each other in a really good way, and they all know that it is going to take hard work to move into or stay within the top seven."
The depth on the men's team has been enhanced with the arrival of freshmen such as Keenan Clinch (Sammamish, Wash.) and Kelton Sears (Maple Valley, Wash.), who finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the time trial. The coaching staff is also looking to runners such as senior captain Chris Henry (West Seattle, Wash.) and juniors Nick Cannata-Bowman (San Francisco, Calif.), Adam Kollgaard (Kent, Wash.), and Graham Miller (Spokane, Wash.) to provide a contribution, especially as the team heads towards the Great West Championships on Halloween.
"We are still a young team and we still have a lot to learn. We are going to focus on gaining experience of racing as a team rather than going out there and running fast for ourselves. So that's going to be a big learning experience for us this year, especially as we points towards the conference meet, which will be a new experience for the vast majority of the team," said Steidl.
Losing five of the top seven runners from 2008 to graduation leaves the competition on the women's squad wide open. Rachel Yorkston (Bellingham, Wash.) has battled injuries throughout her career at Seattle University, but she won last weekend's time trial and looks to be back on track to being one of the team's top runners. Fellow senior Greta Stickney (Poulsbo, Wash.) had a strong summer of training, and junior Julia Miller (Normandy Park, Wash.) has also shown significant improvement throughout her time at Seattle University.
After a strong track season, junior Allison Prather (Carpinteria, Calif.) was elected captain, even though she will be participating in cross country for the first time in her competitive career. Newcomers Lauren Hammerle (Seattle, Wash.) and Brittney Hovdenes (Rapid City, S.D.) are immediately threatening to enter the top five, while sophomores such as Celeste Cassidy (Bellingham, Wash.), Ashley Dalton (Bellingham, Wash.), and Nicole Waters (Phoenix, Ariz.) will also challenge for spots in the lineup.
"This is going to be a big transition year. Last year, the women were the experienced bunch, they knew what needed to be done, and I did not have to hold their hands. This summer, everyone took their training very seriously, but it's different in terms of the independence and the experience and everything," Steidl said.
The season begins Friday evening, Sept. 11, with the West Coast Preview hosted by the University of Portland. SeattleU hosts its only meet of the season Saturday, Oct. 4, with the Emerald City Open at Lower Woodland Park. The meet everyone is pointing too is the Great West Conference Championships, to be held in The Bronx, N.Y., on Oct. 31. Even though SeattleU competed in the GNAC Championships just two years ago, many of the runners have never run in a collegiate conference championship meet before, giving the coaches two months to prepare them.
"On the men's side, I think between three and five will be close. It may come down to one person slipping. If everyone takes good care of themselves and is really focused, I think we can accomplish that goal. On the women's side, if we could be in the top five, I will be very happy. It's going to take people coming together and being smart about listening to their bodies as the season and training goes on," Steidl said.