August 28, 2008

Season Preview: Malone Men’s Cross Country To Open Season As #1 Ranked Team; Women Ranked #3

A usual goal for most teams is to “improve upon last year’s finish”.  But for the 2008 Malone College men’s cross country team, this goal will have to be adjusted slightly.  Because after last year’s squad captured the NAIA national title (the second ever for Malone men’s cross country, 1972) and posted a “perfect” season, having finished first in every meet in which it competed, there is at this point no higher rung on which to climb, at least for the team anyway.  But while 42-year head coach Jack Hazen will likely have a team goal more along the lines of “peaking for perfection again” for this year’s men’s squad, you can bet that he’ll again be reminding his athletes that there is always room for improvement individually.
 
It appeared that last year’s NAIA national voters had great insight as to the potential of the ’07 unit as they ranked them number #1 in the national preseason ratings.  Now, for the second straight season, the Pioneer men have earned the #1 national ranking.  The Malone women have garnered the #3 NAIA national ranking.
 
For the Pioneer men’s team, the bulk of the squad is back including three of the four NAIA All-Americans from last season’s national championship team and five of the seven who competed for Malone at that NAIA national meet.
 
Returning to lead the team this year are ’07 All-Americans Nik Schweikert (Sr., Beavercreek H.S.), Aaron Melhorn (So., Fairless H.S.) and Chris Sinick (Jr., Field H.S.).  Just seconds behind ’08 graduate Ryan Kienzle, who finished second at last year’s NAIA national event, Melhorn finished fourth overall (24:44.7) while Schweikert took 12th (25:06.1) and Sinick placed 26th (25:25.3), all for All-American status.  Schweikert has two All-America honors to his credit (including one in track & field) while Sinick has four total (three in track & field).  As a freshman last year, Melhorn earned the most All-American honors ever by a Malone freshman, with four (three in track & field).
 
James Zeuch (So., Galion H.S.) and Paul Robinson (Jr., Field H.S.), who both also competed at last year’s NAIA nationals finishing 33rd (25:34.4) and 123rd (26:28.2), respectively, along with Evan Gaynor (Jr., Delta H.S.), a two-time track & field All-American, are also among the core group of returnees to the squad.

And while the Pioneer men have an outstanding group back to pace the team, numerous other athletes will be right there to battle for a top-seven varsity spot as well including returning sophomores Kyle Randolph (Galion H.S.) and Matt Nichols (Crestwood H.S.) and top freshmen newcomers Jeremy Arthur (Medina H.S.), Tony Migliozzi (St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.) and Zach Mathias (Galion H.S.).  Others on the ’08 unit include returnees Keith Burns (Sr., Minerva H.S.), Ryan Crocker (Sr., CVCA) and Bryan Eckenfels (So., Northwestern H.S.).
 
“We know that we have an outstanding group of returnees to this year’s team,” said Hazen.  “But we also have some tremendous newcomers to our squad who will look to be right in the thick of things.  We’ll definitely be striving to continue our streak of qualifying for NAIA nationals (40 straight years) and to uphold our status as the winningest team in the NAIA and ultimately to reach for the goal of winning the NAIA national title again.”
 
After a fourth-place finish at last year’s NAIA national meet, the Malone women, who are ranked #3 in this year’s NAIA preseason poll, are also in an excellent position once again to battle for a top 5 spot at nationals.  The squad returns all five scorers at last year’s NAIA national meet and six of seven who competed at the event.
 
Back to lead the way for the unit are returning ’07 All-Americans Katie Bagley (Sr., Van Wert H.S.) and Kalie Hauenstein (Jr., Ashland H.S.).  Bagley, a two-time cross country All-American, finished 22nd (18:19.1) last year at nationals while Hauenstein, a three-time All-American (two in track & field), crossed the finish line in 27th (18:23.1).  Other core leading returnees include Rebekah Genter (Sr., Crestview H.S.), Kristin Downing (So., Lake H.S.) and Emily Grad (So., Field H.S.), each of whom competed for the squad at last year’s NAIA national meet.  Genter narrowly missed All-America honors by just seconds at last year’s national event with a 36th-place finish (18:28.2).
 
Sarah Hines (Jr., Northmor H.S.), who scored for the team at last year’s nationals with a 74th-place finish (18:55.5), and Lindsey Pifher (So., Colonel Crawford H.S.) are two returnees who will definitely also be battling for a top-seven spot.
 
Others who will be providing solid depth for the team are returnees Gabrielle Wuensch (So., New London H.S.) and Danielle Wuensch (So., New London H.S.) and freshmen Ashton Avery (McKinley H.S.), Caitlin Sharp (East Canton H.S.), Melissa Roth (Celina H.S.) and Tynae Wilson (Fort Wayne, IN).  Returnee Lexi Hartline (Jr., Strasburg H.S.) and freshmen Allison Black (Norwich, CT), Kala Fasuk (Geneva H.S.) and Bailey Teague (CVCA) round out yet another outstanding Malone women’s cross country squad.
 
“With nearly everyone back from our fourth-place NAIA nationals team from last year, I’m counting on another very good season from our women’s team this fall,” commented Hazen. 
 
Malone will open its 2008 season at the Kent State University Short Course Open on Friday with the men’s race scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and the women’s event to follow at approximately 5:30 p.m.  In addition to host Kent State and Malone, this non-scoring meet will also feature teams from The Ohio State University and Ashland University.
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