Aug. 27, 2007

Story by Gary Pine, Associate Athletics Director and Sports Information Director, Azusa Pacific University
Photos by APU Sports Information
 

The field is wide open. So the competitors are off and running, both literally and figuratively, and Azusa Pacific is finding itself in an elite mix among the front pack.

With one of the nation's top men's and women's distance running, Azusa Pacific opens the 2007 cross country campaign with great anticipation. The Cougar men are coming off their best season in program history and the women return the core of a squad that finished among the top 10 in the nation last year.

Combined with the fact that several traditional powers are either in a rebuilding phase or have just completely phased out, the field is wide open to claim the NAIA national championship, particularly on the men's side of the competition.

Thus the Cougar men have narrowed their focus like never before, and the Cougar women have visions of a "podium finish" for only the second time in program history and the first since 2000.

Both squads return All-Americans who are among the very best in their respective genders, and behind each of them is a strong set of support personnel who will prove to be the real difference-makers by the season's end.

"There is a lot of excitement surrounding our upcoming season," said third-year Azusa Pacific distance coach Preston Grey as he viewed his roster. "We're coming off a terrific track & field season and an excellent summer of training. The pieces are there for this to be a memorable season for both the men and women."

The most notable "piece" for the Cougar men is NAIA All-American junior Aron Rono, arguably the NAIA's premier distance runner. A 2-time cross country All-American and a 2-time NAIA 10,000 meter champion, Rono carries the Cougars' hope for unprecedented feats in program history. Winner of the first 5 meets he ran last year (a first in Cougar history), Rono then took third at the NAIA nationals, succumbing to a side stitch the prevented him from becoming Azusa Pacific's first-ever individual national champion. Along the path of his remarkable 2006 season, Rono set the course record of the famed Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif., clocking an amazing 23:47 to win the NAIA Region II championship.

Rono followed his outstanding fall performances with an equally impressive spring, setting the school track & field records in the 1500, 5000 and the 10,000. And though he successfully defended his NAIA 10,000 title, it may be a fourth-place finish in the 1500 in that same meet that sets the foundation for this cross country season.

"It seems kind of ridiculous to say this, but Aron is fitter and more confident right now than he was last year," said Preston. "I think losing the 1500 at the NAIA's fueled his fire throughout the summer. He trained very hard, and in my mind, there is no doubt that he is opening this season as the best runner in the country."

As powerful and as important as Rono is to the Cougars achieving their goals, what follows behind him is just as significant as Rono himself. A pair of Calebs - Mesa and Lynch - are what offer real optimism about the coming season for they give Azusa Pacific powerful No. 2 and 3 runners.

As a mere freshman last year, Caleb Mesa fashioned a rather impressive rookie campaign which included an All-GSAC effort at the conference meet followed by a 77th-place finish at the national championship meet. He posted a season-best 8K time of 25:36 on the Woodward course.

"Caleb had a wonderful freshman season," said Grey, "and because of it his confidence is way ahead of where it might be for most sophomores. He certainly has All-American potential."

In the past, Caleb Lynch was among the Cougars' best, putting together a pair of All-GSAC seasons his first 2 years at Azusa Pacific, including his 2005 sophomore campaign when he clocked a fine 25:30 to finish 40th at the NAIA championships. However, he is coming off a sub-par 2006 junior season.

"Hopefully Caleb can get back to his sophomore year in terms of performance," said Grey. "We've changed his training to get him back there, and if he responds by being a No. 3 runner for us, then we're a great team."

Returnee John Pfeil teams with track crossovers Jason Zichterman and Forrest Lewton to give Azusa Pacific quality depth. Pfeil had a great start to last year before tailing off. He rebounded with strong showings in track & field. Zichterman is running cross country for the first time since his 2001 junior year in high school, but he is an NAIA All-American in the 800. Lewton, who did not compete in cross country last year, came on strong toward the end of the track season, earning a berth in the NAIA championship meet in the steeplechase.

"All 3 of these guys are hard workers and will create great internal competition throughout the season," said Grey. "Jason is a little out of his comfort zone running cross country, but he is as tough as they come. Forrest works hard and is coming off a surprisingly good track season, and John put in a great summer of training."

A pair of freshmen round out the Cougars 8-man roster and neither one is a "back-of-the-pack" guy.

Rocky Richardson comes to Azusa Pacific from Madera (Calif.) High where last spring he posted the second fastest high school 800 in the state. He was an all-state performer in cross country and should keep moving up in the Cougar pack as the season unfolds.

Travis Fernandes, son of former Cougar soccer All-American Val Fernandes, posted some quality marks last year at Upland (Calif.) High, one of the stronger prep programs in Southern California.

Azusa Pacific opens the season ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Poll. Ahead of the Cougars are Malone (Ohio), Aquinas (Mich.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and GSAC rival Westmont. Noticeably absent is 3-time defending national champion Virginia Intermont which dropped its distance program last spring.

"If 160 to 180 points wins the national championship this year, then we're in the mix," said Grey. "We're as good if not better than last year, and we're coming out of a very competitive region. We should be ready come November."

A year ago the Cougar women were twice the team they were the year before, posting a ninth-place finish at the NAIA Championship Meet after finishing 18th in 2005. If they can manage a similar step of improvement this year then they are likely to reach their goal of a "podium performance."

The ever-optimistic Grey realizes that the number nine can't be divided in half, so he chooses instead to bump the Cougars development stride to a fourth-place finish at this year's championship meet, and since the top 4 finishing teams get to stand on the awards podium, Grey talks about a "podium performance" season.

"I think we've improved," said Grey. "I think we can win the GSAC and regional titles. It won't be easy because of the competition, but we're good enough. So, yes, we could be talking about an NAIA podium performance in November."

The Cougars are coming off a surprising yet impressive showing at last spring's NAIA championship meet in Fresno, Calif., where the distance runners rose to the forefront in the Cougars' national championship conquest.

"Something clicked at nationals last spring," said Grey, "and now those girls are thinking differently. Now they know they are good."

And none is better than All-American junior Jaime Canterbury, who is coming off a record-setting spring and is set to become one of the NAIA's elite cross country runners this season.

"Jaime is as good as any returnee in the nation," said Grey. "She is very consistent and her mindset has stepped up. She has a goal of finishing in the top 5 at NAIAs with an eye of winning the individual title."

Canterbury finished eighth at last year's NAIA cross country championships. Only 2 other Cougars have ever had better showings - Brianna Carstensen and Christine Krause. Canterbury followed in the spring by breaking Carstensen's school-record in the 1500 with a 4:25.69 and was the NAIA runner-up in the event.

Pushing Canterbury at every turn is senior Olivia Richert, a veteran of NAIA and GSAC competition, who like Canterbury, enjoyed a breakthrough 2007 track & field campaign. She finished fifth in the women's 1500 at the NAIA track & field championships for her first-ever individual All-American performance. And when it comes to running in national meets, she has as much experience as any athlete, having competed in the past 3 NAIA cross country championship meets.

"Olivia has quietly emerged as one of the best in Azusa Pacific history," said Grey. "Only Carstensen, (Michelle) Teodoro and Canterbury have better 1500 times, and all of them were cross country All-Americans. This is a year in which Olivia could be an All-American as well."

When Grey refers to his Cougars as "improved" he has newcomer Jackline Kipwambok at the forefront of his mind. The sophomore transfer from Cowley College in Arkansas, Kan., is a junior college All-American in the steeplechase who has the potential to develop into a strong and outstanding cross country runner.

"Jackline has All-American talent but she is coming off a track injury," said Greay, "so it may take her awhile to fulfill her potential. Nonetheless, she is an outstanding No. 3 runner for us."

A Kenyan by birth, Kipwambok has a 17:14 5K on the track under her belt, giving credence to her potential in cross country.

Azusa Pacific's depth is vastly improved and who fills out the rest of the Cougars' top 7 will be determined through intense competition the rest of the season. A year ago the Cougar roster featured 8 women but this year's line-up boasts of 12 runners, including 7 newcomers.

Heading the list of viable top 7 candidates is returning junior Jenny Landis, who has appeared in 9 meets over the past 2 seasons, including last year's NAIA regional championship meet at Woodward Park where she clocked a personal best 19:59.

If at full strength, junior Kjersti Housman could have a major impact on the Cougar fortunes in 2007. A durable and highly competitive runner, Housman recorded a 19:31 at last year's NAIA regional meet, but she is battling a series of summer injuries that have slowed her training heading into the new season.

Becca Reyes, a junior college transfer from Cuesta College, sports an impressive resume that includes a pair of all-state honors the past 2 seasons to go along with a 5K best of 19:14 at Woodward.

Another junior college transfer, < b>Sara Ireland out of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., owns a 19:16 cross county best, a time that would have placed her among the top 20 in the GSAC last year.

Victoria Martinez may be the best of the Cougars' 5 freshmen. An injury-plagued senior season last year at Granite Hills High in Apple Valley, Calif., pushed her off the radar of numerous NCAA Division I schools, but at Azusa Pacific she'll compete for a significant role at the outset of the 2007 campaign.

Fellow freshman Becca Huffman out of Colorado Springs (Colo.) Christian High, is a focused runner with a promising future and who deepens the already competitive battle for the Cougars' fourth through seventh runners.

Freshmen Kayla Carstensen, and Stephanie Godfrey and sophomore Kaylynn Gallo do more than just round out the Cougar roster but instead give the Cougars quality depth.

"Our success this year will depend on who steps up to be that fourth and fifth runner for us," said Grey, "and there is no lacking of quality personnel to compete for those spots."

The Azusa Pacific women are ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Poll.

If heritage has any influence on cross country success, then Azusa Pacific is in good standing. Three of the current Cougars have siblings who were past NAIA champions. Becca Reyes' brother, Sergio, was the 2002 NAIA 10,000-meter champion at Cedarville (Ohio) College. Kayla Carstensen's sister, Brianna, was multi-NAIA champion during her 4-year career at Azusa Pacific, most notably in the 3000 meters in 2005. And Aron Rono's older brother Julius Randich is the current NAIA record holder in the 5000 and 10,000, winning those event in 1993 while he was at Lubbock (Texas) Christian University.

"That's probably more of an interesting fact than anything else," said Grey, "but it does indicate that we have athletes with a long running background and who understand what kind of training it takes to be a champion."

Azusa Pacific opens the 2007 season Saturday (Sept. 1) at the "Season Opener" hosted by Cal State Fullerton at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea, Calif. First race is set for 8:15 a.m.

APU Cross Country Archive