Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Belmont Opener
Cross-Country Set To Open Season at Belmont
9/2/2004 10:48:00 AM | Track & Field/Cross Country
The return of Geoffrey Lagat has increased expectations for what will be a young cross-country team at Middle Tennessee in 2004. Lagat will team with sophomore David Hughes and Zack Wood as the top returning performers as the Blue Raiders look to improve on last year's eighth-place finish.
"We really got killed last year because we didn't' have our No. 1, 2 and 4 guys when we went to the Sun Belt meet so we were slightly hurting," Middle Tennessee coach Dean Hayes said. "I don't know if we can challenge for the title this year but, at least, we can challenge for one of the top positions and that will be our biggest goal."
Lagat was injured early in the 2003 cross-country season and was awarded a hardship year by the NCAA. His return is big for Middle Tennessee because Lagat has won the Sun Belt twice in cross-country and finished second another time.
Hughes was the Blue Raiders' top finisher at the Sun Belt meet in 2003, finishing 11th, and the rising sophomore looks to build on a successful rookie campaign.
"He really has some ability," Hayes said. "He was a Tennessee state champion in the 3200 and the 1600 (at Happy Valley HS in 2002). He kind of struggled after cross country but if he can come back strong then he can help us a lot because he was one of the better freshmen in the league last year."
Behind Lagat and Hughes will be sophomore Zack Wood, who was Middle Tennessee's second-highest finisher at the SBC meet in 2003, finishing 36th. Returning to the Blue Raiders are Tony Carufe, Carlos Gonzales and Steve Safstrom.
Newcomers Danny Cantino, Derek Dell, Jonathan Giullou, Matt Harville, Benvictor Sang and Matthew Young will provide depth.
"These people legitimately have a chance to score some points for us, that's the biggest help," Hayes said.
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
The only way for the Lady Raiders to go is up after finishing 11th in the Sun Belt cross country meet in 2003, but a few runners are going to have to carry the load for coach Hayes' squad.
Middle Tennessee has six athletes on its women's cross country runner, including track standouts Kerry Barrow and Kishara George. Four newcomers Hayes hopes will make an impact in the program join them.
"We are just trying to improve our cross country team because we have had last-place finishes every year we've been in the Sun Belt, and we are tired of those," Hayes said. "Hopefully we can do something about it."
George finished 62nd at last year's meet and is the top returnee for Middle Tennessee. Newcomers Miranda Galloway, Marjorie Gombert, Sara Lunning and Amy Perry will join her and Barrow.
"We do hope to improve on the women's side because this year we did come up with some distance runners," Hayes said. "(Gilbert) is from France and is a 800-meter runner, but she also can run cross country. (Lunging) is a junior college runner from Michigan? (Galloway) is from Canada and she's a steeple chase runner so she should be tough in cross country, and then we've also added (Perry). The big thing is they are four distance runners."
