LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Trinity University is set to host the 2014 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 1st at Boerne City Lake Park right outside of San Antonio, Texas. Official Site | Course Map
As last season's champion, the Trinity men will look to make it three-in-a-row on the 8K course while seven other conference schools will look to dethrone the two-time defending champions. Here is a preview of all eight SCAC teams competing this weekend.
AUSTIN COLLEGE
Head Coach: Matt Buchhorn, 1st season
Events Performed: Five (Last: October 18th at Austin College Invite)
Top Team Performance: 4th (Austin College Invite)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Chris Burke, 29:18.48 (8th place at ETBU Invitational)
For the first time in school history, an Austin College men's cross country team will compete at the SCAC Cross Country Championships. The new Austin College men's cross country program has put together a fine first season with senior Chris Burke anticipated to lead the 'Roos this upcoming weekend.
Joining Burke is fellow seniors Alex Berghorn and Julio Torres - the next two top runners for Austin College and will be key to the 'Roos point total. From there, freshmen Eric Garza and Diego Robledo will round out the squad as both will be counted on to score this upcoming weekend.
CENTENARY COLLEGE
Head Coach: Kyle Joplin, 1st season
Events Performed: Four (Last: October 3rd at Watson Ford Invitational)
Top Team Performance: 4th (Louisiana Tech Mook 5)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Kellen Bullock, 34:25.45 (133rd place at Watson Ford Invitational)
The Centenary Gents bring a veteran crew, including five seniors and two juniors, to the 2014 SCAC Championship meet. Seniors Kellen Bullock, Andrew Borel, and Demri Robinson have been some of the top runners for the Gents all season, putting together solid times to lead the team throughout the 2014 campaign.
Fellow senior Horacio D'Agostino as well as junior Arash Atari, junior David Gerhart, and sophomore Gregory Simmons have also been an intrical part of the Gents team. After an excellent freshmen season, Simmons has been outstanding in 2014, emerging as a top runner on the Gents' team. Borel, D'Agostino, and Simmons all competed at the conference meet a year ago with Borel placing a team-leading 29th with a time of 33:24.9.
COLORADO COLLEGE
Head Coach: Ted Castaneda, 34th season
Events Performed: Seven (Last: October 18th at Fort Hays State Tiger Open)
Top Team Performance: 4th (Twice, CU-Colorado Springs "Rust Buster" Invitational/Colorado College Invitational)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Graham Frank, 25:52.0 (95th place at Fort Hays State Tiger Open)
Colorado College came so close a season ago at the SCAC Championship, falling one point short of the eventual SCAC champions Trinity. The CC Tigers have a strong trio of runners returning from a year ago in seniors Nick Hall, Graham Frank, and Will Richmond - all of whom earned SCAC First Team all-Conference honors in 2013. Hall won the race last season and was named SCAC Runner of the Year for his efforts, and although he continues to excel in 2014, Frank, has emerged as one of the team's top runners this season, leading the Tigers in numerous races.
Along with the aforementioned trio of seniors is sophomores Ezra Coopersmith and Ryan Bing, who both also earned All-Conference honors last year. They have continued to improve in 2014 and will look to improve their times at this year's championship meet. Many other Tigers could make an impact this weekend including junior Tucker Hampson, sophomore Conor Terhune, and senior Sam English. A focused group comes into Boerne ready to run, and hopes to be taking the team trophy back to Colorado Springs.
UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS
Head Coach: Matt Barber, 1st season
Events Performed: Six (Last: October 18th at Austin College Invite)
Top Team Performance: 2nd (Austin College Invite)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Ryan McAnany, 27:56.9 (10th place at Wisconsin Lutheran Warrior Invite)
Fresh off a third-place finish last season, the University of Dallas men look to match that success in 2014 and even make a move up the standings. The Crusaders are led by junior Ryan McAnany, who has been terrific all season long, leading the Crusaders in nearly every race. He could be on par for a Top 14 finish and All-Conference honors with a good run this upcoming weekend.
Some other key contributors will be junior Javier Secaira, junior Jack Grubner, and sophomore Gabriel Marasigan. Grubner and Marasigan were huge in scoring a year ago with Marasigan finishing 13th to earn All-Confernece honors with a time of 27:38.5. Grubner nabbed a 19th place finish in 2013. Seniors Aaron French and Michael Klem both competed last season at the SCAC Championship and will be looked upon to lead the team in 2014.
SCHREINER UNIVERSITY
Head Coach: Cullen Dees, 1st season
Events Performed: Five (Last: October 18th at Concordia (TX) Invite)
Top Team Performance: 4th (Two times, Alamo City Opener/Texas Lutheran Invitational)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Kevin Perez, 29:35.9 (115th place at Incarnate Word Invitational)
Schreiner, entering its second year in the SCAC, looks to improve on its eighth place finish at this year's SCAC Championship meet. The Mountaineers have been led by junior Kevin Perez, the top runner for the Mountaineers in nearly every race this season. Perez had the top time for Schreiner at last year's meet, finishing with a time of 29:11.8.
Joining Perez is a much improved team which includes freshman Ricky Canales, sophomore Connor Ver Schuur, and freshman Charlie Stewart. The freshmen have been a welcome edition to the team, providing a spark all season long. Meanwhile, Ver Shuur is a returner from last year's team who competed at the SCAC Championship, and finished second among the Mountaineer team. Junior Elliot Frey and freshman Marshall Sereno round out the group looking to make an impact in 2014.
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Head Coach: Francie Larrieu Smith, 15th season
Events Performed: Five (Last: October 18th at Concordia (TX) Invite)
Top Team Performance: 2nd (Southwestern University Opener)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Alex Medrano, 26:55.5 (57th place at Incarnate Word Invitational)
Southwestern returns one of its top runners from 2013 in senior Alex Medrano. He finished 11th a season ago to earn All-Conference honors and helped lead the Pirates to a fifth-place team finish. Medrano has been nothing short of spectacular in 2014, earning top finishes all season long including a win at the Southwestern University Opener. With the Pirates losing three seniors from a year ago, Medrano will hope to inspire a young group of runners if the team is to improve on last year's conference finish.
Sophomores Abraham Devenport and Kyle Bauernschmitt return in 2014 as they look to make an impact this weekend. Bauernschmitt was one of the runners in last season's race, finishing 28th overall. Meanwhile, senior Joey Quintero, the 2014 SCAC Field Athlete of the Year, hopes to provide leadership for the young team, while sophomore Alex Riggs, freshman Hector Aleman, and freshman Mauro Garcia also look to score this upcoming weekend.
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
Head Coach: Darlene Holland, 3rd season
Events Performed: Seven (Last: October 18th at Concordia (TX) Invite)
Top Team Performance: 2nd (Texas Lutheran Invite)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Travis Koenig, 27:37.8 (76th place at Incarnate Word Invitational)
Joining Austin College, Texas Lutheran will also be putting a men's cross country team on the conference champoinship course for the first time ever. In their first season of competition, the Bulldogs have been spectacular, including three top five team finishes. Though the Bulldog squad is young with nine freshman on the roster, the team is talented. TLU is led by a pair of freshmen in Travis Koenig and Rudolph Calderon, two of the top runners for the Bulldogs all season.
Joing them is junior Bond Birkner, freshman Donald Manuszewski, and freshman Jonathan Beal, all whom have 8K times under 30 minutes in 2014. Other runners to watch are freshmen Matthew Villarreal, Blake Westbrook, and Mason Allenger as the Bulldogs look to make their mark this upcoming weekend.
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
Head Coach: Emily Daum, 1st season
Events Performed: Five (Last: October 18th at Concordia (TX) Invite)
Top Team Performance: 1st (Alamo City Opener/UTSA Ricardo Romo Classic)
Top Individual Performance (8K): Taylor Piske, 25:06.7 (9th place at Incarnate Word Invitational)
Two time defending champion Trinity University will host the 2014 championships, looking to win its third straight conference title - which would be a program first. The Tigers are led by junior Taylor Piske, who has the top 8K time this season - clocking in at 25:06.7. Piske was excellent a year ago, finishing second at the SCAC Championship to lead Trinity to a one point victory over Colorado College.
The Tigers bring back some key contributors including All-Conference performers and captains Christian Soto and Brandon Douglas. Soto, a junior, finished sixth last season while Douglas, a senior, finished 14th. Both have been key runners throughout the season. Sophomore Austin Brown, freshman Michael Erickson, freshman Daniel Henkes, and freshman Jacob Hammond will all look to make an impact this upcoming weekend.
