One of the more effective strategies in any distance race is to set a controlled pace early so there is plenty of energy at the finish.
That is exactly how the Colorado College women's cross country team is approaching the 2009 season.
Even though the Tigers return the majority of their runners from last year's squad that finished a respectable fifth at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships and 12th at the NCAA West Regional, some nagging injuries may prevent certain individuals and the team from being at their best until midway through the season.
“The gals have the potential, but we'll have to see if some of our key runners can overcome their injuries,” said head coach Ted Castaneda. “We're older and more mature, so that's definitely going to help us.”
Some of the runners who will not be at full speed early in the season include senior Kate Aitchison, the team's only senior and most experienced competitor, as well as sophomore Maggie Harkins and freshman Molly Lynch. CC also will be without junior Louisa Tur, who is studying abroad during the fall semester.
With only two other upperclassmen on the roster – juniors Chelsea Herzog and Molly McGee – the Tigers will be young again this season. But the experience gained last year should help CC move up in the standings at the most important meets at the end of the year.
“We went beyond being a rebuilding team in 2008,” Castaneda said. “But I won't really know how good we can be until October.”
One source of optimism is the return of Margot Cutter, who led the Tigers at all but one meet last year and set the program's freshman record with a time of 22:54 at the West Regional.
In addition to earning all-region honors, Cutter was an all-conference selection after finishing 14th in a time of 23:16.
“Margot had a monster season,” Castaneda said. “I didn't expect her to dominate like that. She is energized by what she accomplished as a freshman and is going to work a lot harder this year.
“Margot is a potential national qualifier. What she needs to do is train with higher mileage so she is competitive against the runners who are doing the same thing. I believe she's ready to step it up.”
Aitchison and Megan Hurster finished second and third on the team, respectively, in each of the final three races a year ago, giving the Tigers a solid top three.
“Kate was a very consistent performer,” Castaneda said. “Megan enjoyed running last year and really took off the second half of the season. She's ready to step up with the higher training mileage.”
McGee, Herzog and sophomore Devin Nadar appear ready to move into the top five on a consistent basis. CC should also benefit from the return of Harkins and the addition of freshman Molly Lynch.
Harkins was the only runner besides Cutter to lead the Tigers in 2008, finishing 13th overall while leading the team to the Colorado College Invitational championship. After a strong start, Harkins was sidelined by an injury.
“We are looking for a more consistent effort from Molly McGee and Maggie,” Castaneda said. “Sophomore Claire Daniel has the talent be really good if she is able to increase her mileage. However she is currently nursing an injury and will be abroad when the conference and regional meets occur.”
“Molly Lynch could be a top-three or -four spot in October. She's so talented and could make a big impact for us.”
The Tigers have a total of 13 veterans returning and 11 newcomers, making it possible that someone could make an unexpected challenge to the runners who are likely to be ranked among the team's top seven.
“We expect individuals to show significant improvement over the course of the season,” Castaneda said. “The gals have the ability to come out of nowhere. We have runners who have that kind of potential.”
The 2009 season will start on Sept. 4 with the CU-Colorado Springs Rust-Buster Invitational, and then two weeks later the Tigers will defend their team title at the Colorado College Invitational.
CC will compete against Division I and II programs at Oklahoma State, the University of Colorado and Fort Hays State, and then return to the NAIA Mid-States Classic at Southwestern College for its final tune-up before the SCAC meet.
“The gals could finish in the top five or six at the SCAC Championships, but it's too early to tell if they can do much better than that,” Castaneda said. “And at this point, we'll be shooting for a top-eight finish in the West Region. After finishing 11th last year, eighth is a reasonable goal.
“It's a team sport that depends on the abilities and commitment of individuals. We have the potential to accomplish great things both as individuals and as a team.”
