Hopes high despite loss of runners
Head coach Derrick Koonts and his teams both hope for a repeat of last year’s USA Conference.
By Sheldon Pearson
Skiff Staff

With the cross country season starting Saturday at the North Texas Opener in Denton, head coach Derrick Koonts said he has high expectations for his team.

After losing 10 runners on the women’s side and six on the men’s side, Koonts said this team is young, but that he still expects a lot.

“We are much more solid this year than we were last year,” he said.

The women’s cross country team finished last season third overall in the Conference USA Championship, a total of 1:53 behind the winner Marquette. At the championship, 2002 graduate Gladys Keitany finished first, winning by 22 seconds. She then went on to finish 31st in the NCAA Championships.

This season the women have senior Shannon McKinney and senior Robin Schat returning for another season. Koonts said he expects these two runners to be the base of the team this year.

The team has also added freshmen Heather Isbell, Alayne Thompson, Katrina Zelinsky and Katie Koskrove to step in for the 10 runners it lost from last season.

“We have trained all summer, and have a ton of miles under our belts,” Zelinsky said.

Despite the loss of 10 runners, the women’s cross country team still has high hopes for the upcoming season. Koonts said he expects to have three runners finish in the top 15 in the conference championships.

McKinney also shares this opinion.

“We want to match what we did last year,” McKinney said.

The men have made a number of changes after losing six runners including Eliud Njubi, the C-USA champion from last season. However, they have added four freshmen and one transfer student, sophomore Jackson Langered.

Koonts said he expects the men’s team to build off of what they had last season.

“We are very young, but you have to start somewhere,” Koonts said.

Freshman Jonathan Bundren said he anticipates a sweep for both the men’s and women’s teams.

“We can do some real damage out there from what I’ve seen this week,” Bundren said.

Sophomore Steven Lenny said he expects the team to work together to win.

“We feed off of each other while we are racing,” Lenny said. “We run for each other.”

Traditionally, young teams go through growing pains, but Schat put a positive spin on having a young team.

“(A young team) brings fresh attitudes,” Schat said. “And it allows the team to start a new tradition.”