Cross Country Ready To Run

August 28, 2007

The pieces have begun to fall in place for Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s cross country team as the 2007 season approaches. SWOSU, under the leadership of second-year coach Josh Musick, has its top two runners back plus three others who made steady and significant improvement as the year progressed. Mixed together with two new freshmen and a converted basketball player and this year’s parts will certainly please followers of the sport.

The centerpiece of the SWOSU cross country again will revolve around all-American hopeful Rachel Ingram. The Springfield, Mo. senior has qualified for the last two NCAA Division II National Championships and already has four individual titles under her belt. Ingram is a threat to win any race, regardless of the field size, and has put together a strenuous off-season training program that should assure her continued dominance.

Back also is Stefanie Jones, who in her first year with the program, collected four top 10 finishes and was named to the all-conference team. Jones spent two years with the SWOSU basketball program before joining cross country full-time.  The move certainly paid off as she quickly established herself as one of the top runners in the Lone Star Conference and just narrowly missed qualifying, herself, for the NCAA National Meet.

Returners Kate Hollenshead, Emily Haskins and Afton Hoover are all back and have steadily trimmed their personal-best times in a number of distances.

Three newcomers are expected to find their way on the team including freshmen Kara Bachus and Erin Williams along with basketball star Grace Anne (Jones) Fath, who is following her twin sister into cross country competition. Unlike her sister, Fath plans to resume playing basketball once cross country ends.

SWOSU starts the season Saturday, Sept. 1 at the University of Central Oklahoma Invitational. They have six regularly-scheduled meets before ending the season at the LSC Championships at Texas A&M-Commerce on Oct. 20.