Coach Clay Calkins wants to continue the trend of improvement after a 2004 cross country season that saw the Ohio men's team break into the top six in the Mid-American Conference, while the women climbed out of the MAC cellar.
The Ohio men's cross country team will lose senior Drew Frum next fall but will return second-team All-MAC selection Jason Linton, sophomore Craig Leon and junior Austin Schiele.
The women will lose no one next year. Freshman standout Carime Reinhart, sophomore Andrea Maas and sophomore Stephanie Knous constitute a young core of talent for a team on the rise.
On the men's side it would be nice to finish in the top two at the MACs and finish higher in Regionals
said Calkins. On the women's side we have some good athletes coming in to join our top runners.
In order to stay competitive in the MAC, Calkins plans to improve through recruitment.
The men's cross country team has one runner under scholarship coming in, Shamus Eaton of Lake High School, while the women will be bringing in two new freshman, Julia Weisenborn from Ostego and Rachel Beakas of Anthony Wayne.
Eaton led his high school cross country team to its first state championship in 25 years as well as earning the distinction of the Federal League's and Stark County's cross country runner of the year. Weisenborn had a top 10 finish in the Mid-East Cross Country Championships in 2004. Beakas was a four-year letter winner and finished in the top 15 at the state championships three times.
One of the more delightful surprises for the women's cross country team was freshman Reinhart. As a freshman, she was a first-team All-MAC selection and said she wants to earn the distinction every year.
I really surprised myself this season she said. I came from a small high school and I wanted to show the team that I can make a difference.
Despite not knowing what to expect in her first year as a Division I runner, Reinhart made an impact at the first meet of the year, the Bobcat Invitational. She ran the fastest mile of the day recording a 5:48 lap. She also shared the distinction of MAC runner of the week with Linton. At the MAC Championships she placed fifth.
Some members of the team also involved with track and field have only a few weeks before summer workouts begin. Assistant coach Mitch Bentley is the distance coach for the team, and Calkins describes him essentially as another full-time coach. He is in charge of designing the summer training program to build a base for the fall season.
Every mile run this summer will be one step toward improving in the MAC next fall for the cross country teams.
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