After successful seasons last fall, with the women winning both the regional and conference titles and the men placing among the top three teams in both categories, the women’s and men’s cross country teams have set their sights on the NAIA national tournament in November. The taste of last season’s success still lingers among the veteran runners and heightens the excitement of the incoming freshman.

The hope of the men’s team rests on the young talent, especially the two newest recruits, Nathan Bennett and Mike Walker.

Bennett is an All-State runner from Marietta, Georgia. As two-year MVP of his high school team, Bennett is a leader at heart and hopes to benefit the team with his 5k time of 16:41.

As an individual qualifier in the state tournament, Walker, a freshman from Red Bank Tennessee, also hopes to assist the squad. With a time of 16:54 on a 5k, Walker will be an instant competitor in intercollegiate competition. The upperclassmen on the team are well aware of the impact these two freshman are capable of making.

On a team riddled with injuries, the less experienced runners will be expected to pull their weight.

“The men’s team as a whole is going to look to raise the bar on the program and build on what we began last year. We have some good returning talent and some younger guys that will be needed to race hard to make the team competitive. Qualifying for Nationals is our main goals, and we are closer than we have ever been,” said sophomore, Josiah Young.

With a team of seasoned runners as well as the new additions, the possibility of success for the women’s team is becoming more of a reality. After experiencing the thrill of winning both the regional and conference championships last fall, the squad experienced immediate setbacks at the beginning of the 2008 season.

The team lost many strong runners at the close of last season, including an individual qualifier for the NAIA national tournament, Anne Houghton. The team is also plagued by numerous injuries. Although many people have labeled 2008 as a rebuilding year for the women’s team, the runners have set their sights on the National championship and are still building off of the excitement of last season’s championships.

“Coming back from a knee injury, I’m excited to be joining the women’s cross country team this season. Despite losing team members from last year I believe that our new runners can make a great contribution to the team. Our goal this year is to continue the success of last years regional championship,” said Joy Hrushka.

The first official meet of the season for both teams is the Lee Invitational on August 30.