Ready to step into the vacated shoes left by Ross and Bales are Kate Greer, Dan Hedgecock and Garett Jeffries. Greer, the Tiger's first or second place finisher is every race last season, is primed to have a career year in her senior season. Greer is coming off of an All-Midwest Regional performance last season. Greer, who stepped up her game for the biggest races, was also the Tiger's top runner in the Big 12 Championships, placing 17th overall, just two spots shy of All-Big 12 honors. Greer set personal best's in the 5K and 6K races last season at the Notre Dame Invitational and Pre-Nationals meet respectively.
After an unparalleled freshman season that saw him compete with the top runners in the conference and region, Hedgecock will likely be the Tigers' top runner. Hedgecock finished 16th at the Midwest Regional last season, good enough for second on the team behind Tim Ross who finished fifth. The 16th-place finish was the highest ever for a Missouri freshman in regional competition. Hedgecock earned the highest finish out of all the freshman in the entire region. Hedgecock was the Tigers' third finisher in all of the other races, behind Ross and Jeffries. Hedgecock improved as the season went on, and posted an 8K time of 25:24 in the Big 12 Championships, good enough for 25th. Hedgecock will look to improve both his regional and Big 12 Conference finish in his sophomore season, and will likely challenge Jeffries as the Tigers' most dominant runner.
Similar to Hedgecock, Jeffries had a breakout season for the Tigers in 2006, and will be called upon for bigger and better things in his junior season. Jeffries set a career best in the 10K during the Midwest Regional, coming in with a time of 31:24.99, and topped his best in the 8K at the Pre-Nationals meet. In only his second season with the Tigers, Jefferies earned all Region Honors as he placed 20th overall. Jeffries took home top honors at the Missouri Cross Country Challenge, and finished second among Missouri finishers in all but one race.
Coach Rebecca Wilmes, who is in charge of developing and coaching the women, will have five seniors in the fall, but it is a junior that just might make the biggest splash behind Greer. Ellen Ries, an Iowa native, will enter her junior season as one of the top runners for the Tigers, as she finished third amongst Missouri runners behind Bales and Greer in every race. Setting personal bests in the 5K and 6K last season, look for Ries to once again be right at the top of the leaderboard as the Tigers press on this season. Ries has improved from a runner that in 2005 was finishing sixth and seventh among Tiger runners, to a top three runner in every race in 2006.
After Greer and Ries, the coaches have a handful of runners that will stay competitive including, Trisa Nickoley and Angela Potrykus, who both saw success on the track in 2007 qualifying for the postseason. Both Potrykus and Nickoley will likely step into a much larger role for the Tigers. Nickoley was one of the Tigers' most consistent runners in cross country races, as she was the third or fourth scorer for Mizzou in every race. Potrykus had a very similar campaign qualifying for the Mideast Regional in the 3000-meter Steeplechase on the track, adding to a very successful season in cross country races. Potrykus finished in the fourth or fifth spot in all he races last season, and posted a career best 18:11 in the 5K at the Notre Dame Invitational and a mark of 22:35 at the Pre-Nationals meet, a career best in the 6K.
A newcomer that may have an immediate impact for the Tigers is Kinsey Farren, a freshman out of Dallas, Texas. Farren is one of the most heralded recruits for the Mizzou and has a high level of experience and competition under her belt. Farren brings with her an impressive resume, including three Texas 6A State Titles in cross country, a 7th-place finish at the USATF Junior Cross Country Championships in New York and a 26th place finish at the Footlocker National Final.
Maddie Schueler, a senior this season will add more quality depth for the Tigers. After qualifying for the NCAA Championships during her freshman season, Shueler will be at full health and could make a major impact for the Tigers. In addition to Schueler, more depth will be added by seniors Kasey Kimball and Carolyn Rauen, who both have plenty of experience on the cross country circuit.
Sophomore Emily Baker will look to build upon a stellar freshman season that saw her standing improve with her conditioning and training as the season went along. The coaches believe that Baker has all the right tools to be a dominant runner on the team and in the Big 12 Conference. Baker was the top Missouri runner at the Bradley Invitational, and will look to be a permanent fixture for the Tigers in 2007 as she will improve her conditioning and stamina, and be a key member of the team.
On the men's side, the Tigers will have plenty of proven runners in the chase this season. Tim Cornell, who qualified for a spot in the Mideast Regional on the track in the 1500-meter run, is another Tiger who looks poised to have a big season. Cornell will look to carry his success from the track into the cross country circuit. Cornell is a proven runner who seemed to find his stride toward the end of the outdoor track season, and will be expected to make even bigger strides for the Tigers this season. Cornell will enter the 2007 season nipping at the heels of both Jeffries and Hedgecock. Cornell will also be looked upon as a leader of the team providing leadership to the Tiger newcomers.
Mizzou has an experienced group of veterans rounding out the men. Billy Bell and Michael Barrows will both be called upon to bring bigger and better things to the Tigers. Barrows finished 68th at the Big 12 Championships in 2006 while Bell finished 62nd, and went on to compete in the Midwest Regional where he clocked in with a time of 32:35, good enough for 57th place. Transferring in from the University of Florida is Ballwin, Mo., native Ben Brammeier. A MSHSAA Class 4A State Champion and the St. Louis Post Dispatch Runner of the year award winner, Brammeier is a newcomer to keep an eye on for Mizzou. During his time with the Gators he competed in the 5K and 10K on the track, and just might surprise a few Tiger fans this season. Coming in as freshmen, Dan Quigley and Kyle Rood round out an impressive recruiting class that could make their presence felt during the 2007 season. Rood is a MHSAA State Champion in Cross Country and brings an impressive resume to Mizzou. Quigley was one of the top recruits in the midwest finishing in the top 20 at the Footlocker Midwest Cross Country Championships. The Tigers open the season September 8 when they host the Missouri Cross Country Challenge, held at A.L. Gustin Golf Course. The Tigers will also take trips to Terre Haute, Ind., for the Pre-Nationals meet, Minneapolis, Minn., for the Roy Griak Invitational and Nashville, Tenn., to take part in the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic. The Big 12 Championships will be hosted by Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. The NCAA Midwest Regional Championship, which will also be held in Minneapolis, which will make the Roy Griak Invitational an even more important race for the Tigers this season.
With an experienced core group of runners returning, and a handful of impact newcomers, expectations will be high for the Tigers in 2007. With contributions from all of the top runners and the impact runners, the Tigers should look to improve upon a rebuilding season in 2006. With all of the right pieces in place, the Tigers expect to be back among the Big 12 Conference elite, and will look to challenge for supremacy in one of the toughest and most competitive regions in the entire country. With all of the runners healthy, and firing on all cylinders, the Tigers should prove to be a very competitive bunch in 2007.