Cross Country Preview
August 11, 2008 11:21 AM | General
August 11, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Coming off the most successful season in school history, anticipation for the upcoming West Virginia University cross country season has never been higher. The Mountaineers will likely enter the season ranked in the preseason and the squad returns all seven starting runners from last season’s BIG EAST Championship team that took ninth place at the NCAA Championships.
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| All-American Keri Bland is back to lead a deep and talented Mountaineer team.
Tad Davis photo |
Second-year head coach Sean Cleary, the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, has quickly implemented his philosophies and if his first season as head coach is any indication of what type of program WVU will have, this is just the beginning in Morgantown.
It’s not often you see a coach craft a conference champion and consistent winner with a lineup featuring freshmen and sophomores in his rookie season as the boss. Now a year later, those athletes have developed and matured and are ready to accomplish even greater things, perhaps repeat as BIG EAST champs, perhaps win a regional championship, perhaps bring home a national championship.
“We will take this year one step at a time,” Cleary says. “Our goal is to be a better team than 2007.”
Entering the season a year ago with a very young and unproven group, Cleary spoke that anticipated that this could be the best team he has ever coached. A lot of coaches around the league and country probably wouldn’t have agreed with him after looking at his team on paper. Fast forward through a myriad of accomplishments in the fall and the successful indoor and outdoor track seasons for the distance runners, and it seems as though Cleary had looked into a crystal ball. Now that group is one year older - and one year better.
“I saw a team that never quit believing,” Cleary says. “We will be better because they believe that they will be better.”
Leading the way for the third consecutive year is the junior All-American pair of Marie-Louise Asselin and Keri Bland. Asselin emerged as one of the league’s top runners as she won the Penn State National Open, took second at BIG EAST and was third at the regional. As good as Asselin was, Bland was on her heals all season. Asselin finished in 14th at the national championships, while teammate Bland was 23rd in the country’s final race last season.
“What can I say about (Asselin and Bland),” Cleary says with amazement. “They’ve been clutch, key, of national class. They are fantastic team leaders. They have only just begun showing the nation what they are capable of.”
Usually joining Asselin and Bland at the front of the pack is fellow junior Clara Grandt, who is the final blow in the Mountaineers’ powerful one-two-three punch. Grandt showed elite-level improvements from her freshman year to earn all-BIG EAST and all-Mid-Atlantic region honors as a sophomore.
“Clara Grandt has the ability to compliment Asselin and Bland to make them the best trio in the country,” Cleary says. “She has a big smile and seems shy on the outside, but she possesses a very determined interior.”
The depth of the team will hopefully result in a strong rotation of talent in the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the lineup (teams run seven athletes with the first five finishers counting toward the team score). Those two spots may be the key to the 2008 season and Cleary knows that there is nothing better than healthy competition for those positions this fall.
“Kaylyn Christopher and Kate Harrison had great freshman years for us last fall,” Cleary says. “Maria Dalzot and Mandy McBean competed for us a lot last year as well and will push for spots. To predict our top seven is impossible. We have more depth than any WVU team in program history. Most teams would love to have the girls that will run in our 8-through-12 spots.”
The emotional leader of the team is captain and lone senior, Alison Spiker. Spiker has been through the peaks and valleys of the program over the past four years and Cleary says he couldn’t have a better athlete to guide his team.
“Spiker has arguably given more to this University than any other athlete, all-around,” Cleary says. “She’s a team captain, does an enormous amount in the community and provides great leadership on and off the field. She’s a perfect model of a Mountaineer student-athlete.”
Joining the team this fall are eight newcomers, including future stars Sarah-Anne Brault and Jessica O'Connell. This rookie class will add even more depth to Cleary’s new national powerhouse program.
“We are very excited to add Jessica and Sarah-Anne to our Mountaineer family,” Cleary says. “These two have international experience and we have great leaders to teach them our philosophy. We expect them to help continue our growth at the national level. I am very happy to have those two as well as the rest of the class at West Virginia.”
Cleary’s team’s appearance to the rest of the league has changed significantly in lieu of all of his team’s achievements. West Virginia has gone from being the hunter, to being the hunted.
“It is true that we will not sneak up on the league this year,” Cleary admits. “What is exciting to me is that our sport does not produce many miracles - hard work and timing are everything. The best team will win the BIG EAST and we believe we are one of the best teams.”
The Mountaineers’ quest to defend their BIG EAST title begins with the season opener, the Preston Relays on Aug. 30. Highlighting the team’s schedule are the annual trips to Lehigh (Oct. 3) and Penn State (Oct. 17), before the BIG EAST Championship in the Bronx, N.Y., on Oct. 31. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship is in Princeton, N.J., this year on Nov. 15, and the 2008 NCAA Championship is in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 24.
The Mountaineers hope to frequent many podiums in 2008, including the coveted one in Terre Haute, Ind. One thing is for sure, Cleary will have his team ready to run each week with that thought in mind.
What a difference a year makes.
