The difference between running cross country in high school and running in college isn’t all that significant – the distance increases from five to six kilometers.
“It’s a mental hump to get over but the sport is pretty much the same,” said Geneva cross country coach Brian Yowler. “You see freshmen women make an impact pretty regularly.”
Yowler is hoping to see that on his own squad as he four of his 11 runners are freshman and only one – Shannon Smith (Indiana, PA/Indiana) is a senior.
“We’re very young,” Yowler said. “Of our top five runners, only one is even a junior. The rest of the team is sophomores and freshmen. How we do in the conference will depend on how our younger runners do.”
The Golden Tornadoes finished fifth in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in 2014 and are picked to finish fourth this year in the pre-season poll. Three runners are listed as conference runners to watch – junior Rebecca Miller (Spring Grove, PA/Spring Grove) and sophomores Havilah Gaugler (Pittsburgh/Avonworth) and Madelyn Blosser (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley).
The young Golden Tornadoes will open their season on September 1 at Grove City – giving them a test right away.
“Grove City has won the conference championship for something like 25 or 26 years in a row,” said Yowler. “They’re still the team to beat.”
The conference cross country season will culminate in the PAC Championship at St. Vincent on October 31.
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