Cross Country Looks Forward To 2014 Season

The Bowling Green State University men's and women's cross country teams open the 2014 season this weekend.

The women's team returns all runners who competed at the NCAA Regional meet last season and are led by a pair of redshirt juniors, Andrea Alt and Jasmine Redman. Head coach Lou Snelling said the team's current focus is centered on training.

"We are in our biggest block of training for about the next five weeks," he said. "That is getting most of our attention at this point, but we look forward to going through all the race routines and turning that competitive switch back on."

Snelling said he has a group of runners, led by Alt, who are in the conversation for finishing All-MAC.

"Jasmine and Becca Rae are both very important pieces to the lineup," Snelling said. "Jasmine wasn't in the mix last year due to injury and Becca has a lot of things going for her right now. Last year she was our first athlete across the line at the MAC meet, so she has a lot of potential."

Sophomore Brent Darah was the third best freshman at MAC Championships in 2013 and, according to Snelling, redshirt sophomore Mackenzie McMillin has been improving each year and is ready to have a great season.

"Brent has the potential to have a pretty big impact on our team score at this point," Snelling said. "We also have two freshmen that have to be in the conversation because of what they did at the high school level last year and they are Rachel Walny and Elena Lancioni."

The men will go to the line returning only two runners who competed in the MAC Championships last season for the Falcons.

"We have a focused group of guys that I am excited about," said assistant men's coach Eric Thatcher. "It will be a very interesting mix of some guys. We've got six more weeks to get us to that peak mileage range, so we are looking to really be fit for our championship season Nov. 1st through the middle of November."

One of the two returners, Greg Black, is the lone senior on the men's squad. Black raced in six of the teams seven meets last season, finishing 97 out of 207 runners at regionals.

"Greg fits exactly the mold for the type of guys we are looking to bring into this program moving forward," Thatcher said. "Now that he is getting his opportunity to be that senior leader, we are expecting him to use all of that experience that he has gained. With everybody being new, he is extremely valuable to have."

Jeremy Richard, junior, is the other returner this season. Richard competed in all seven meets for Bowling Green as a true sophomore.

"He is doing a great job of vocalizing more, understanding that he is one of the few upperclassmen who has that experience in big races," Thatcher said. "He will help us achieve this idea that we are going to work together as a group this season."

Both teams open the season at the Toledo Invitational this Friday at 5:45 pm at Pearson Metro Park.

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Cross Country Looks Forward To 2014 Season

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