Cross Country Teams Looking to Build Strength in Numbers
2012 Season Preview
August 6, 2012
Kansas City, MO - Dave Denny has been coaching cross country long enough to know you build a program in small steps. With that in mind, he said he sees this year’s men’s and women’s cross country teams as the logical next steps in that progression.
It begins with the numbers. When the program was started two years ago, Denny had just two men and five women running. Most meets, there weren’t enough runners to field a team. Last year, the Eagles fielded both men’s and women’s teams at the Heart of America Athletic Conference meet and beat one team to finish out of the league basement.
This season, Denny said he expects 6-8 men and seven women to compose his teams.
“Numbers are definitely up; we’re excited about that,” said Denny, who was preparing to watch one of his former protégés, Lee’s Summit, Mo. product Matt Tegenkamp, run the 10,000 meters at the 2012 London Olympic Games. “We’re making progress. I’m hoping recruiting will take us another step forward.”
Denny is excited about four freshmen coming onto the Eagles men’s team. Tyler Bunton, out of Liberty Mountain View (Mo.), was a state qualifier in cross country last fall and finished third in his conference race. Zach Hambrick, from Goddard, Kan., finished in the top 25 in the Kansas 5A state race last season. Michael Hudson of Topeka Hayden was 14th in his Kansas 4A region. And K.J. Nigg, out of Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Okla. was 19th in Class 5 in the Oklahoma state meet and was part of a state championship team.
Those four will join returners Curtis Dunlap, a sophomore who was the Eagles’ No. 2 runner last season behind two-time NAIA national meet qualifier Adam McGovern, Pedro Vargas, whom Denny said was “very much improved,” and Nick Parsells, who will double up and play for the men’s soccer team.
Denny said he also was waiting on the eligibility status of an eighth runner, a retired Marine veteran.
On the women’s side, Denny said he was excited about the arrival of freshman Tiffany Zinn, a state qualifier in the Missouri Class 3 3,200-meter run from Pleasant Hill, Mo.
“She should come in right away and be one of our top three runners,” Denny said.
Zinn will join returners Jaimie Page, a senior from Platte City, Mo. and NCAA Division I transfer, Joan Kessler, a sophomore from Lawson, Mo., Karli Lapointe, a senior from Olathe, Kan., Katie Noland, a senior from St. Mary’s HS in Independence, Mo., Eden Woodbury, a junior from St. Joseph, Mo. and Mandi Littleton of Odessa, Mo.
“We’re excited about competing more on the women’s side, hopefully taking that next step,” Denny said.
Eagles cross country also will add an assistant coach – Bruce DuFresne, who most recently coached at Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kan.
McGovern finishes 183rd at 2011 Cross Country Nationals
November 2011
Vancouver, WA - Avila Senior Adam McGovern finished 183rd out of 312 runners at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships Nov. 19 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash.
McGovern completed the 8-kilometer course in a time of 26 minutes, 25 seconds, a 5:19 per mile pace.
The race was won by the defending National Champion, Kithuka Kennedy, a sophomore from Wayland Baptist, in a time of 23:15, which was 44 seconds faster than his closest competitor. Oklahoma Christian won the team title with 93 points. The highest placing team from the Heart of America Athletic Conference was Baker in 25th (out of 32 teams, with 611 points), while Graceland's Yonas Gebretinais was the highest placing individual from the conference, in 13th with a time of 24:30.
Avila Junior Finishes in the Middle of the Pack at Cross Country Nationals
November 2010
Vancouver, WA - Avila junior Adam McGovern finished 131 st out of 326 runners at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships Nov. 20 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash.
McGovern completed the 8-kilometer course in a time of 26 minutes, 52 seconds, a 5:25 per mile pace.
According to Eagles cross country coach Dave Denny, McGovern was forced to jump over a fallen runner early in the race, which knocked him off stride, and he had difficulty regaining momentum after that.
The race was won by Wayland Baptist freshman Kithuka Kennedy in a time of 24:02, which was 39 seconds faster than his closest competitor. Southern Oregon won the team title with 105 points. The highest placing team from the Heart of America Athletic Conference was Graceland in ninth (out of 32 teams, with 323 points), while Graceland's Yonas Gebretinais was the highest placing individual from the conference, in 19th
