Men 4th, women 9th in XC poll
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Emporia State men were picked to finish fourth and the women last in the conference in the MIAA preseason coaches poll released Thursday.
The men return Skyler Delmott, a member of the All-MIAA team in 2007, and MIAA freshman of the year Sloane Kern. Eric Wellman and Brock Ternes are no longer with the team, but coach Dave Harris said he has runners who he thinks will be able to fill their spots.
Last season the men finished fourth in the conference and Harris said he was not surprised to see his men picked to finish fourth again.
“We’ve been moving up the last few years,” he said. “I think the goal for the men is to try to finish in the top three and keep moving up the ladder in the MIAA.”
The women finished eighth out of eight teams last year and that was with the greatest runner in the team’s history in the lineup. Two-time MIAA champion Jonel Rossbach, who placed fourth in the National meet last season, has graduated and is almost impossible to replace.
“I know every MIAA coach is happy to see her go because she’s dominated this conference,” Harris said.
The women have no upper classmen and will be led by Kylie Bookout, who finished 32nd last year at the MIAA meet.
“I expected that to be our preseason place,” Harris said. “What that poll says is exactly what we have. We’ve just got to get better. I think there is some talent there, but i think we have to experience collegiate training and secondly, racing. It could be a young year but at least it’s a young squad and something to build off of.”
Harris will continue to lean on Rossback. No longer will she be winning races for the Hornets, but Rossbach will be an example for runners in the program.
“It took Jonel a year to see, ‘this how I have to train, this how i have to compete,’” Harris said. Maybe someone else can do that.”
2008 MIAA Men's Cross Country
Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Missouri Southern (7) 49 points
2. Southwest Baptist (1) 40
3. Pittsburg State 38
4. Emporia State 27
4. Central Missouri 27
6. Fort Hays State 22
7. Truman 13
8. Northwest Missouri State 8
Points awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Coaches could not vote for their own school.
2008 MIAA Women's Cross Country
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Missouri Southern (7) 63
2. Pittsburg State (2) 57
3. Southwest Baptist 50
4. Central Missouri 40
5. Fort Hays State 34
6. Truman 27
7. Nebraska-Omaha 20
8. Northwest Missouri State 19
9. Emporia State 14
Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Coaches could not vote for their own school.