Sept. 1, 2006
Columbia, Mo. - The men's and women's cross country teams are running along parallel paths this season. Not so much literally as figuratively. Both return one very talented senior, Amanda Bales on the women's side and Tim Ross on the men's. Both have many strong underclassmen with at least one year of quality experience behind them. And for both, the determination and know-how that the youth and upperclassmen combine to provide brings a lot of hope to Head Coach Jared Wilmes and assistant Rebecca Wilmes. Together, they are confident that the runners that make up Missouri's men's and women's cross country teams will step up and surprise many throughout the course of the 2006 season.
Starting on the women's side, the Tigers return senior Amanda Bales to the 16-member squad. After an early season injury shortened the Bettendorf, Iowa native's 2005 season, Bales was awarded a medical hardship waiver and now returns for her final cross country campaign. A 2003 All-American, Bales finished 23rd as a sophomore at Nationals in Waterloo, Iowa. Bales' experience as a leader both on the course and in the classroom has earned her the title of captain and she is expected to once again guide the Tiger women in 2006.
In addition to Bales, Wilmes is expecting many of the Tigers to step up and take great strides throughout the season.
Junior Maddie Schueler, who returns to the squad after a successful sophomore season in which she finished fourth at the Missouri Cross Country Challenge and was in the top five of the Tiger finishers in all four meets she ran, is among a group of women that Wilmes will look to help guide the youthful squad.
Junior Kate Greer joins Bales in returning to cross country after redshirting in 2005. Greer was the Tigers' consistent sixth or seventh best finisher in every meet she competed in as a sophomore in 2004.
Coming off of a productive rookie campaign in which she got stronger as the year went on, sophomore Summer Owens is back for her second year of competition. Owens finished 33rd at the Big 12 Championships in Waco, Texas last season and was the Tigers' fifth harrier to cross the finish line. One of four freshman on the 2005 squad, Owens finished 49th overall and third of her Tiger team at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Iowa City, Iowa.
Juniors Kasey Kimball and Carolyn Rauen and sophomores Angela Potrykus and Ellen Ries all had excellent track season and appear ready to make a big impact on the cross county course. Sophomore Mallory VanNess along with redshirt freshman Amber Warren are also expected to turn in high caliber performances.
Assistant Coach Rebecca Wilmes is excited about the possibilities for the women this season.
"I think we have the potential to be a very good team," Wilmes said. "We don't have just two or three girls that we're hoping will get good. We have eight."
The Missouri men are in a similar situation as the women, with a strong senior in Ross, and a lot of experience backing him up.
"We're very similar to the women's team," Head Coach Jared Wilmes said. "Tim Ross is our front runner. Just like the women's team, there are a lot of guys that could step up. Several of them have quite a bit of experience and are capable of turning in some great times this season."
Ross returns as a fifth year senior at Mizzou after redshirting last season. In 2004, Ross was an individual national qualifier to the NCAA Championship and sixth place finisher at the Big 12 Championships.
There is a host of young athletes that appear ready to elevate their performance. Sophomore Garett Jeffries leads that group. Jeffries was the second runner on the team for much of last year and appears ready after a great track season where the Tiger garnered All-American status at the USATF Junior National Championship from a 3rd place finish in the 5000 meter run. Joining Jeffries is a group of athletes including sophomores Tim Cornell and Michael Barrrows, and redshirt freshman Dan Hedgecock. Cornell and Barrows both had excellent track seasons and appear ready to step up their performance on the cross country course. Hedgecock like Jeffries gained Junior All-American status as a result of his 4th place finish in the 5000 meters at the USATF Junior Championships this past year.
Junior Billy Bell and senior Colten Green will also be valuable contributor to the Tiger team. Bell returns after a successful sophomore season in which he finished among the Tigers' top four runners in four meets. Green had a strong 2005 season, that progressively improved and peaked in time for postseason competition. He was Missouri's third and fourth finisher at the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, respectively.
The Tigers open the 2006 season at home with the 13th running of the annual Missouri Cross Country Challenge, Sept. 9, at A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia. As in previous years, Head Coach Jared Wilmes looks forward to the start of the campaign on Missouri's own home course.
"I think it is important to have a meet at home," Wilmes said. "It gives our athletes additional training time."
After the Missouri Cross Country Challenge, the men will travel north to Minneapolis, Minn., where they will compete in the Roy Griak Invitational Sept. 23rd.
Known traditionally as one of the more competitive meets of the season, Wilmes believes that fans attending this year's competition will likely witness 10 to 12 nationally ranked teams going head-to-head for the Griak title.
The women will have their second challenge of the season when they travel to South Bend, Ind., for 51st Annual Notre Dame Invitational Sept. 29th. The afternoon race, one of only two currently on the Tiger's schedule, will be contested on the historic campus at the Notre Dame Golf Course.
The weekend of October 13th several of Missouri's runners will compete in the Pre-NCAA Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., while the rest of the team will travel to the Bradley Invitational in Peoria, Ill. In previous years the Tigers have had tremendous success on both courses, with the women taking first and the men fourth in last year's Bradley Invitational. The return to Terre Haute for the Pre-NCAA Invitational marks Missouri's first trip since its 2004 outing.
Following both meets, the Tigers will have two weeks to prepare for the Big 12 Championships, hosted by the University of Kansas, Oct. 27, in Lawrence.
Once the Big 12 Championships are in the books, the Tigers will compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. Nov. 11th. One of nine NCAA Regional meets that weekend, the Tigers will attempt to qualify for the NCAA National Championships, held Nov. 20 in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Tiger coaches are excited and optimistic about what the 2006 cross country season holds. Confident in their leaders, Bales and Ross, the Wilmes' expect their seniors to take the reins and lead the team with other youthful runners stepping up to produce outstanding results for the Tigers.
"On both sides, there have been teams that have been good at Missouri," Assistant Coach Rebecca Wilmes said. "We have as much talent as any of the teams we've ever had. Its just a matter of getting people to step up and keep them healthy. The year is one that we should all look forward to, we have a lot of pieces in place for a successful season."