2003 Arkansas High School Cross Country Preview

special to ArkansasTrackStats.com from

 The Fearless Forecaster

 

For the first time in several years, the Arkansas High School State Cross Country Championship will be held on the same course in consecutive years.  The infield of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs will play host to the State Championships on November 8th.  The course is not flat as one might think.  There are several rolling hills and tight turns to offer many challenges for the runners.  The fan-friendly, multi-loop course offers many chances for spectators and coaches to see the athletes and has become a fan favorite for State Meet sites.  The course becomes especially challenging with wet turf that is common in early November. What better place than a thoroughbred racetrack for a state CC meet?

 

Most teams are just returning from the summer to start preparing for this year’s Championships.  There has been one major rule change that might have an effect on this year’s State meet.  Nine runners will still be allowed to run for each team at the State Championships.  However the 8th and 9th runners for each team will not count in the team scoring this year.  With that in mind, let’s look into the crystal ball and see how close we can come to predicting this year’s Arkansas State CC Champions.

 

Class 1/2A Girls:

 

Harding Academy took top honors last year with three freshman runners in their top five.  They lose only one out of their top five to graduation and look on paper to be the front-runners to win three in a row.  Leslie Priskey leads the way for Harding as she placed 6th last year as a freshman.  With four runners in the top twenty-one returning, Harding Academy looks like the favorite for a “three-peat”.  Eureka Springs last won a girl’s State Championship in 1996.  They were just two points away from upsetting Harding Academy in 2002.  They had only six runners at last year’s State meet with two of those being seniors.  On paper this should give Harding a big edge over Eureka, however a couple of very talented freshman are lying in the wings that could give Eureka Springs a good chance to bring the trophy back.  Magnet Cove has the top individual back in Kristen Kennerly, but they need some support from the 3rd thru 5th runners to pose a challenge.  Upstart Lutheran could be in the hunt too as their numbers continue to grow with each year of the program.  Pea Ridge has some talented young runners and if they get enough girls out for a complete team they could slip into the Top 5.

 

Individuals to watch:  Kristen Kennerly of Magnet Cove, Lauren Hagans of Little Rock Christian, Janine Hanssen of Lutheran, Kimberly Peck of Eureka Springs and Ellen Davis of Harding Academy

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      Harding Academy

2.      Eureka Springs

3.      Lutheran

4.      Magnet Cove

 

Sleeper Pick: Pea Ridge

 

ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  If Genoa Central can squeeze their 3:06 spread in 2002 down to a flat 2:00, they could be in the hunt fro runner-up.  Their 4th-5th from last year were sophs who should be poised to improve.

 

Class 1/2A Boys:

 

Two private schools took top honors last year and very well could repeat that performance again.  Lutheran took top honors with Little Rock Christian finished only 23 points behind.  Lutheran looks to be the new juggernaut of Class AA as they placed five runners in the Top 25 last year and appear to have lots of depth returning.  They return only three of those top five, but will find formable replacements in Mark Gerecht (30th) and John Waldorf (33rd) filling the void.  The bad news for LRC is that he was a senior.  LRC looks to rely on Matt Buchholtz who placed 4th last year to lead the way, but they need to close the gaps between their 3rd to 5th runners to seriously challenge for the title.  Adam Becker of Lutheran has the best time coming back.  Cushman finished 3rd last year and lost only one out of their top five runners.  Longtime challenger Acorn placed a disappointing 6th last year, but could return to their glory days with the addition of some younger runners to their stables.  Crowley’s Ridge returns three very good young runners and could be in the mix for 2nd with the addition of two faster runners.

 

 

Individuals to watch:  Adam Becker of Lutheran, Matt Buchholtz of Little Rock Christian, Trad Williams of Wickes and Nick Butler of Cushman.

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      Lutheran (not even close!)

2.      Cushman

3.      LR Christian

4.      Acorn

 

Sleeper Pick: Crowley’s Ridge

 

ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Emerson looks to return their 2nd-6th runners from 2002.  Their spread of nearly 3:20 hurts but if they can come down a minute, the runner-up trophy could be in reach.

 

Class 3A Girls:

 

Let’s start this section with a bit of Arkansas cross country trivia.  Which team has the longest current streak of consecutive State Championship wins?

 

Berryville looked vulnerable last year and were even trailing at points in the race.  However, they rallied to pull of a narrow seven point victory over Pulaski Academy.  Shawna Miller was the top runner for Berryville and will look to improve on her 5th place performance last year as a sophomore.  Berryville placed six girls in the Top 28 last years and lose only two out of that six to graduation.  Pulaski Academy posed one of the strongest challenges for the 3A reign in years by placing three in the top 12 runners.  The bad new for PA is that two of the runners where seniors leaving sophomore Laura Hudson in 12th position as their top returnee.  Dover finished 3rd in the team scoring last year with their top four runners finishing between 11th and 18th.and their fifth runner at 51st.  With all these runners back, Dover could challenge if they find a 5th runner to close the gap.  Perryville was the 2001 runner-up team and could challenge with everyone returning.  Leigh Moore of Pocahontas ran off with the individual title last year as a freshman.  Rumor has it that she has moved to Jonesboro. 

 

Trivia answer:  Berryville Lady Bobcats

 

Individuals to watch:  If Moore is gone, the top returnee is Megan O’Neal of Hamburg.  Look for Shawna Miller of Berryville, Lacey Frye of Mansfield, and Jessica Neely of DeQueen to challenge. 

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      Berryville (tradition and depth)

2.      Dover

3.      Perryville

4.      Pulaski Academy

5.      DeQueen

 

            Sleeper Pick: Mansfield

 

ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Watch the early meets to see how Berryville fairs in the always-important 4th and 5th spots.  Perryville seems solid but returns an already tough 1:12 spread which will prove likely hard to improve.

 

Class 3A Boys:

 

DeQueen ended Berryville’s six-year reign at this level last year by placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th. Here is the good news for Bobcat fans; their 5th runner was 40th.  Here’s the bad news for Bobcat fans, all five are returning for 2003.  John Lagunas paced the way as a freshman for DeQueen pacing a 17:12.  Teammates Derek Sherwood and Justin Cajero finished 2nd and 3rd in 17:50 and 17:51.  Cory McDade of Warren was the closest challenger finishing 4th with a time of 17:54.  Berryville’s top runner was Drew Ray who returns with a 10th place performance.  DeQueen outdistanced runner-up Heber Springs by 35 points in running away with the 2002 title.  Berryville was a close 3rd with longtime 2A power Pottsville a distant 4th.  Heber Springs was paced by to sophomores in Gabriel Krug (11th) and Mitchell Holland (12th).  An added note is that their 3rd and 4th runners placed 15th and 16th and all are back as their 5th runner placed 33rd.  Looking on the outside in are Pottsville, Dover and Warren.

 

Individuals to Watch:  Anyone in a black uniform.  Dequeen’s top four looked very good in track and have a good chance to repeat their 1-2-3 performance of last year.  Montrall Brooks of Warren placed 5th and could move up. Lagunas is expected to repeat.

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      DeQueen (by a bunch)

2.      Berryville (by a nod)

3.      Heber Springs

 

            Sleeper Pick: Warren

 

ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Berryville and Heber Springs are about as even as it gets on paper.  Both have CC tradition and about a 60 second spread returning.  Look for the team who can get their best five to state healthy to take the runner-up hardware.

 

Class 4A Girls

 

Siloam Springs won the most exciting team race of the day last year edging out Vilonia by one point to win their 2nd straight State Championship.  This was the closest race last year as Siloam Springs scored 53, Vilonia scored 54 and Harrison placed third with 60. Senior Dianne Miller of Siloam Springs (11:59 for 3200m in track) ran off from the field to take the individual title and looks poised to return her senior year for another.  Teammate Becca Davis placed 4th last year and will give Siloam Springs a good one-two punch returning.  Siloam Springs top four runners are back with an 11th and 18th place finisher in those spots.  Vilonia returns their top two runners in Brittney Knight (2nd) and Kazymn Bailey (3rd).  Vilonia also returns their Top 4 who finished 13th and 15th  last year.  This puts both teams dead even on paper which gives Harrison an opening to  return to the top..  The Lady Goblins return 6th, 9th, 12th, 14th, and 20th places from last year’s 3rd place squad.  With the addition of freshman Tia Young the Lady Goblins look ready to return to the top of the heap.  Vilonia loses their fifth runner, but their 6th from last year is back and she placed only two spots behind their 5th runner.  Siloam Springs loses their 5th-9th runners to graduation and must find some quick replacements in the younger ranks to win a 3rd straight.  Greene County Tech looked very good in track and has their top five back.  They have improved enough to be in the mix and could be a very close 4th even sliding further up on the list.  If you want to watch just one race, watch the 4A girl’s event.

 

 

Individual to Watch:  Dianne Miller of Siloam Springs has placed 2nd, 2nd and 1st the last three years and dominates 4A track in the longer races.   Look for Miller repeat.

 

Fearless Forecast:    

 

1.      Harrison (barely)

2.      Siloam Springs (in hot pursuit)

3.      Vilonia (close behind)

 

            Sleeper Pick: Greene County Tech

 

ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Harrison should have both depth and their Top 5 had a terrific 58 second spread last year.  The hills in Boone County produces tough CC runners.

 

 

Class 4A Boys

 

In no other division is the outlook as open as the 4A boys.  The oddity of Vilonia’s victory last year is that their first runner only finished 10th place.  They packed well with a 28 second spread as their 5th runner finished 18th.  The scary thing for Vilonia is that they lose six out their Top 8 runners to graduation.  Runner-up Siloam Springs was a mirror image of Vilonia as their first runner placed only 13th but their 5th runner placed 22nd  as the team achieved an unbelievable 23 second spread. Siloam Springs survived graduation a little better than Vilonia, as they lost only three out of their Top 9, but three of those were in their Top 6.  Hot Springs Lakeside looked liked they had the meet won at the 4K mark, but faded to a third place finish.  They lose to graduation their top two runners who placed 6th and 7th.  Hot Springs put a scare in all teams by adding to their roster from the Arkansas School for Math and Science to make a formidable squad.  The Trojans placed a close 4th, but lose three of their Top 5.  Quincy Googe of JA Fair had to run without a full team, but repeated as individual champion with a comfortable 16 second margin of victory.  He is only a junior this year.  Daniel Haney of Arkadelphia placed 2nd behind Googe and hopes to carry the momentum of winning the 4A outdoor track 3200 meter title into cross country for his senior year.  Harrison had a dismal state meet after running within 3 points of Siloam Springs two weeks before the state meet.  They return all but one of their top six runners and all will be seniors this year.  Look for Harrison to make a strong move this year.

 

 

Right now, this race seems wide open.  Even though Vilonia and Siloam Springs have to rebuild, they have established programs and both will have to be considered for the hunt.  If JA Fair can rebound from their problems last year, they can be in the hunt.  Hot Springs has the extra boost of the School for Math and Science to pull from.  Right now, it could be any team’s race to be won.

 

Individuals to Watch:  Quincy Goog of JA Fair, Daniel Haney of Arkadelphia, Chris Henry of Marion and Scott Iiams of Siloam Springs

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      Siloam Springs (by a whisker)

2.      Vilonia

3.      Hot Springs or Fair

 

            Sleeper Pick: Harrison or Monticello

 

            ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Siloam Springs returns a Top 5 with a respectable 1:25 spread. Monticello and Greene County Tech have to close their spread to hope for a challenge.

 

 

Class 5A Girls

 

Bryant was just mentioned in passing in last year’s preseason write up.  They brought up two freshmen that made an impact and stole the 2002 5A State title in a hard fought battle.  The Lady Hornets return five of their Top 6 that includes three freshman from that squad.  Preseason favorite Rogers finished only seven points behind Bryant and only has to replace one senior.  Both teams figure to be in the hunt for 2003.  Fayetteville was 3rd and only 31 points behind Bryant.  The Lady Purple Dogs lost only one senior to graduation.  Lake Hamilton returns the best 1-2 punch of Beth Madson (2nd) and Patricia Bradbury (3rd).  The Lady Wolves have some young talent that could give them a boost to challenge for the team title.  Mount Saint Mary’s has the returning champion in junior Ashley Williams.  They need to close the ranks to challenge.  Longtime 5A powerhouse Bentonville fell on hard times and slipped to 9th place last year with only five girls running.  However, they have a very solid front three back and can make a run to return to the top if they can find two more to run with their returnees.  Russellville has some young talent and might be a year or two away while Springdale has shown marked improvement over the past couple of years.   Jonesboro did not run a girl at the State meet last year but they have two of the best in the state.  If they can find three to run with Kostetskaya and Moore, they could have an impact on the results.

 

 

Individuals to Watch:  Arkansas might collectively have the best group of girls in the history of track and cross country in this state.  Ashley Williams  (5:08/11:04) is one of the best Arkansas has ever seen and returns as a junior to defend her title.  However, she won’t return as the favorite.  Katya Kostetskaya of Jonesboro (14:55 for 4K at Agri Park in 2001 and 5:02 for 1600 in 2003 track) who had to sit out last year’s season should run this year and offer a challenge for Williams.  If Leigh Ann Moore (5:25/11:26) has moved to Jonesboro, she has to be considered among the favorites.  Beth Madson (5:23/12:05) and Patricia Bradbury (5:24/12:13) of Lake Hamilton are both back for the senior year to challenge.  Brooke Higgs (2:17 for 800m) of Bryant and Staci Papageorge (6thn in 2002 and 2:24/5:18 in 2003 track) of Rogers are forces to respect too. Watch for Laura Broederdorf of Mt. Home to make a move (8th in 2002/12:19 for 3200m in 2003 track).

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      Rogers (close call)

2.      Bryant

3.      Mount St. Mary’s

4.      Lake Hamilton

5.      Fayetteville

 

           Sleeper Pick: Jonesboro

 

            ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Bryant and Rogers look strong but are exposed on their 5th and 6th.  This is not race to have any weakness on race day.  Watch early meets to see how Bentonville and Fayetteville put their 4th-6th runners together.

 

Class 5A Boys:

 

Rogers was supposed to be in a rebuilding year last year.  The Mounties decided to reload instead of rebuild and ran past the favorite Russellville to take the 2002 State title.  In fact, Fayetteville actually took the runner up honors as the Cyclones settled for a disappointing third.  Rogers put five runners in the Top 15 last year in taking the title and all five of those runners return.  Rogers always does a good job of peeking and will be in the driver’s seat when November 8th rolls around.  The only challenge Rogers might experience is from their neighbors in Fayetteville.  The Bulldogs are talented too and could put it all together for a challenge.  A runner-up trophy for the Purple Dogs would be no disappointment.  Fayetteville put seven runners in the Top 29 and all but two of them are back.   Russellville lost three of the state’s best and has to work on putting a new crew in place.  Conway was 4th and loses two out their Top 5 but has improving depth.  Springdale placed 5th and loses only one out of their Top 5.  Lake Hamilton was hit hard by graduation too but count on their tradition.  Bryant has some very good freshman runners coming up and could make a strong move up from 8th place next year or in 2004.

 

 

Individuals to Watch:  Burt Hicks of Lake Hamilton (4:27/9:35 I 2003 track) placed 2nd last year and hopes to move up a spot to take the individual title.  He could be challenged by Raven Fuller of Conway who finished 4th last year as a freshman.  Luis Flores of Rogers (9:55 for 3200m in track) placed 5th last year and will pace the talented Rogers squad.  Caleb Gordon of Rogers (4:31/10:03 in track) and Jesse Thill of Fayetteville (4:37/10:07) could be in the hunt too.

 

Fearless Forecast: 

 

1.      Rogers

2.      Fayetteville

3.      Conway

4.      Springdale

5.      Lake Hamilton or Russellville

 

            Sleeper Pick: Bryant

 

            ArkansasTrackStats.com Spotlight:  Rogers does not display runner-up trophies in their showcase and they are well aware of the bull’s eye on their back.  Watch for Conway to make a move to bring a trophy to Faulkner County from the 5A West by trying to catch Fayetteville focusing on Mountie blue instead of Wampus Cat blue.