Cross Country Set To Open Season at Wyoming
8/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
2005 MEN'S OUTLOOK
The Air Force men's cross country team is a strong, evenly-mixed, blend of experienced returnees and talented newcomers. With 13 veteran athletes and 11 newcomers, head coach Mark Stanforth predicts that this team can be as competitive as the previous two years, which picked up the program's first conference title and recorded the team's second-best finish at the national meet in over 38 years.
"We may not have the proven depth of the last couple years," Stanforth commented. "But we will still have a very competitive team."
Air Force will return to the course this season without all-conference and all-region honorees, Brian Dumm and Abe Wengel. Despite the loss of two top-10 finishers from the conference meet, the Falcons have a strong force of returning talent to make its competitive stand in the national spotlight.
With six runners entering their final year of competition, the senior class is full of proven talent and national experience. Anthony D'Amato, Jeff Gosselin, Matt Hellier, Travis Patterson, Mark Walter and Nick Wilson all return for their senior season after competing in at least one of the post-season competitions.
Gosselin, Walter and Wilson participated in the conference, regional and national meets, with Walter and Wilson both claiming all-conference honors (Walter went on to claim all-region honors as well). D'Amato, Patterson and Hellier all contributed to the Falcons' second-place finish at the MWC Championships, before Patterson and Hellier took turns on the regional and national teams, respectively.
"Mark, Nick and Jeff are all proven national-level competitors," Stanforth said. "And Matt really came through for us in the NCAA meet a year ago. If a couple more returnees improve, we'll be good to go."
Although the junior class is the smallest of the returning groups, Jason Beck and Richard Elmore, both have had proven success with the junior varsity team over the past two seasons.
Elmore also returns with the distinction of earning a Mountain West Conference Runner of the Week award, as he guided the Falcons to victory at the Fort Hays Invitational with a third-place finish.
Five competitive sophomores return to the lineup for the Falcons. Dan DeRusha, Calvin Glass, Kenny Grosselin, Ian McFarland and Josh van Wyngaarden all earned a wealth of experience during their freshman campaigns as members of the junior varsity team.
In addition to the strong returning corps, Stanforth adds one of the largest incoming freshmen classes on record. The Falcons will welcome 11 first-year athletes to the roster. Joining Air Force this year will be Scott Balcao, Daniel Castle, Parker Cowles, Joe Curran, Daniel Fadgen, Sean Houseworth, Kyle Jones, Justin Mason, Sebastian Ortiz, Garrett Weaver and Matt Williams.
Three boast state titles from the track and field season, while three claimed top-three cross country finishes at their respective state meets.
Castle earned a state (Missouri 1A) title in the 3200, while Houseworth won the same event at the Illinois Class A state meet. In addition, Houseworth picked up a third-place finish at their cross country championships, while Williams finished second at the Colorado 5A state meet.
As always, the Mountain West Conference looks to feature an extremely tough field, as four of the six teams advanced to the 2004 NCAA championships. In fact, the conference boasts three teams that finished within the top-14, nationally, highlighted by perennial conference favorite, BYU, and its fifth-place finish.
Stanforth has a positive outlook on the 2005 season, as he mixes an experienced group of returning athletes with a large contingent of newcomers. The Falcons are a dedicated and hard-working group of athletes, who look to continue to improve in their conference and national rankings.
WOMEN'S OUTLOOK
With a large contingent of upperclassmen, head coach Mark Stanforth and the Air Force women's cross country team enters the 2005 season with a seasoned group of individuals who look to regain their place within the top half of the Mountain West Conference, while hoping to move forward in the standings and make a name for themselves regionally and nationally.
After snapping a streak of five consecutive third-place finishes in the MWC last season because of injury or illness, the health of the squad will be the key factor for the Falcons in 2005.
"We have enough talent to be good...but that talent comes with questions," Stanforth said. "Several were injured or ill most of the spring and we need all of them to be healthy in order to compete at the level I know we are capable of. We can move back up to third (in the conference) if everything goes right, but I'm not sure if we have enough depth if that group isn't healthy."
Included in that group are seniors Vivien Aspden, Nicole Graham and Lindsay Grose, as well as junior Ashley Culp.
With three of the squad's four seniors on this list of questionable health, the Falcons largest class may be their most unstable. Andrea Pinchak - the only healthy senior - competed in six meets for the Falcons, including the Mountain West Conference and NCAA Regional championships. Grose took part in five competitions, including both of the post-season meets. She also claimed the title at the Fort Hays Invite and earned MWC Runner of the Week accolades.
Graham took part in just four meets, but earned a top-60 finish at the regional meet. Aspden rounds out the senior class with participation in three meets. While the members of this class missed several meets last season, they have all seen significant action during their first two seasons and look to step into the spotlight.
Culp, one of just two juniors on the Falcons' roster, took part in five races, including the MWC and NCAA regional meets. Classmate Margaret Frash participated in the first three meets of the season, but had the team's top finish at the Notre Dame Invitational. She also had a stellar track season, setting the Academy's steeplechase record and finishing 10th at the NCAA Regional meet in that event.
Kelly Robinson highlights the two-member sophomore class. With a 13th-place finish at the MWC Championships as a freshman, Robinson became the Falcons' first female all-conference athlete since 1999. Of the six races she competed in, Robinson led the team in three, including the Woody Greeno, Pre-NCAA and MWC meets.
In addition, she picked up all-conference honors during the indoor season and set Academy records in the indoor mile and as a member of the distance medley relay team. Kate Papenberg returns for her second season with five competitions under her belt.
Stanforth and assistant coach, Capt Sierra Suhajda, welcome one freshman to the Air Force cross country program. Holly Simeon brings impressive credentials to the lineup, as the runner-up at the Utah state 3200-meter run finals.
Since Simeon doesn't have to move up in distance as they advance from high school to college, Air Force's head coach is excited to see the newest Falcon make a quick impact on the squad. Stanforth also believes she will be able to assist the Falcons right off the bat; since as a native of 'an altitude state', she won't have to make that noticeable adjustment.
The women's cross country team once again looks to be one of the deepest in program history if the team is able to remain healthy. While the depth will be an important characteristic of the Falcons' season, the cohesiveness of the team will also contribute to their success.
Stanforth commented that no one person will have to hold the team on her shoulders, as this team will work together to not only regain their place amongst the top three teams in the conference, but to achieve more and strive farther than the teams of the past.
The Air Force men's cross country team is a strong, evenly-mixed, blend of experienced returnees and talented newcomers. With 13 veteran athletes and 11 newcomers, head coach Mark Stanforth predicts that this team can be as competitive as the previous two years, which picked up the program's first conference title and recorded the team's second-best finish at the national meet in over 38 years.
"We may not have the proven depth of the last couple years," Stanforth commented. "But we will still have a very competitive team."
Air Force will return to the course this season without all-conference and all-region honorees, Brian Dumm and Abe Wengel. Despite the loss of two top-10 finishers from the conference meet, the Falcons have a strong force of returning talent to make its competitive stand in the national spotlight.
With six runners entering their final year of competition, the senior class is full of proven talent and national experience. Anthony D'Amato, Jeff Gosselin, Matt Hellier, Travis Patterson, Mark Walter and Nick Wilson all return for their senior season after competing in at least one of the post-season competitions.
Gosselin, Walter and Wilson participated in the conference, regional and national meets, with Walter and Wilson both claiming all-conference honors (Walter went on to claim all-region honors as well). D'Amato, Patterson and Hellier all contributed to the Falcons' second-place finish at the MWC Championships, before Patterson and Hellier took turns on the regional and national teams, respectively.
"Mark, Nick and Jeff are all proven national-level competitors," Stanforth said. "And Matt really came through for us in the NCAA meet a year ago. If a couple more returnees improve, we'll be good to go."
Although the junior class is the smallest of the returning groups, Jason Beck and Richard Elmore, both have had proven success with the junior varsity team over the past two seasons.
Elmore also returns with the distinction of earning a Mountain West Conference Runner of the Week award, as he guided the Falcons to victory at the Fort Hays Invitational with a third-place finish.
Five competitive sophomores return to the lineup for the Falcons. Dan DeRusha, Calvin Glass, Kenny Grosselin, Ian McFarland and Josh van Wyngaarden all earned a wealth of experience during their freshman campaigns as members of the junior varsity team.
In addition to the strong returning corps, Stanforth adds one of the largest incoming freshmen classes on record. The Falcons will welcome 11 first-year athletes to the roster. Joining Air Force this year will be Scott Balcao, Daniel Castle, Parker Cowles, Joe Curran, Daniel Fadgen, Sean Houseworth, Kyle Jones, Justin Mason, Sebastian Ortiz, Garrett Weaver and Matt Williams.
Three boast state titles from the track and field season, while three claimed top-three cross country finishes at their respective state meets.
Castle earned a state (Missouri 1A) title in the 3200, while Houseworth won the same event at the Illinois Class A state meet. In addition, Houseworth picked up a third-place finish at their cross country championships, while Williams finished second at the Colorado 5A state meet.
As always, the Mountain West Conference looks to feature an extremely tough field, as four of the six teams advanced to the 2004 NCAA championships. In fact, the conference boasts three teams that finished within the top-14, nationally, highlighted by perennial conference favorite, BYU, and its fifth-place finish.
Stanforth has a positive outlook on the 2005 season, as he mixes an experienced group of returning athletes with a large contingent of newcomers. The Falcons are a dedicated and hard-working group of athletes, who look to continue to improve in their conference and national rankings.
WOMEN'S OUTLOOK
With a large contingent of upperclassmen, head coach Mark Stanforth and the Air Force women's cross country team enters the 2005 season with a seasoned group of individuals who look to regain their place within the top half of the Mountain West Conference, while hoping to move forward in the standings and make a name for themselves regionally and nationally.
After snapping a streak of five consecutive third-place finishes in the MWC last season because of injury or illness, the health of the squad will be the key factor for the Falcons in 2005.
"We have enough talent to be good...but that talent comes with questions," Stanforth said. "Several were injured or ill most of the spring and we need all of them to be healthy in order to compete at the level I know we are capable of. We can move back up to third (in the conference) if everything goes right, but I'm not sure if we have enough depth if that group isn't healthy."
Included in that group are seniors Vivien Aspden, Nicole Graham and Lindsay Grose, as well as junior Ashley Culp.
With three of the squad's four seniors on this list of questionable health, the Falcons largest class may be their most unstable. Andrea Pinchak - the only healthy senior - competed in six meets for the Falcons, including the Mountain West Conference and NCAA Regional championships. Grose took part in five competitions, including both of the post-season meets. She also claimed the title at the Fort Hays Invite and earned MWC Runner of the Week accolades.
Graham took part in just four meets, but earned a top-60 finish at the regional meet. Aspden rounds out the senior class with participation in three meets. While the members of this class missed several meets last season, they have all seen significant action during their first two seasons and look to step into the spotlight.
Culp, one of just two juniors on the Falcons' roster, took part in five races, including the MWC and NCAA regional meets. Classmate Margaret Frash participated in the first three meets of the season, but had the team's top finish at the Notre Dame Invitational. She also had a stellar track season, setting the Academy's steeplechase record and finishing 10th at the NCAA Regional meet in that event.
Kelly Robinson highlights the two-member sophomore class. With a 13th-place finish at the MWC Championships as a freshman, Robinson became the Falcons' first female all-conference athlete since 1999. Of the six races she competed in, Robinson led the team in three, including the Woody Greeno, Pre-NCAA and MWC meets.
In addition, she picked up all-conference honors during the indoor season and set Academy records in the indoor mile and as a member of the distance medley relay team. Kate Papenberg returns for her second season with five competitions under her belt.
Stanforth and assistant coach, Capt Sierra Suhajda, welcome one freshman to the Air Force cross country program. Holly Simeon brings impressive credentials to the lineup, as the runner-up at the Utah state 3200-meter run finals.
Since Simeon doesn't have to move up in distance as they advance from high school to college, Air Force's head coach is excited to see the newest Falcon make a quick impact on the squad. Stanforth also believes she will be able to assist the Falcons right off the bat; since as a native of 'an altitude state', she won't have to make that noticeable adjustment.
The women's cross country team once again looks to be one of the deepest in program history if the team is able to remain healthy. While the depth will be an important characteristic of the Falcons' season, the cohesiveness of the team will also contribute to their success.
Stanforth commented that no one person will have to hold the team on her shoulders, as this team will work together to not only regain their place amongst the top three teams in the conference, but to achieve more and strive farther than the teams of the past.
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