2006 Cross Country Outlook

First-year coach Jamie LaFollette begins his tenure at the helm of Guilford’s cross country program with high expectations.  The Quakers return the core of their 2005 squad with 10 total letter winners back from last year’s squads.  The team is excited to begin the season with LaFollette’s new training regimen.  His training focuses on more consistent mile splits and developing finishing speed by using pool workouts, bike intervals and weight training.  Another cause for excitement is a planned five/eight kilometer cross country course on Guilford’s campus.  The new course will serve as the Quakers’ practice facility and allow Guilford to host high school and small college invitational meets.  It would also enable the Quakers to train on grass instead of road courses.

“I’m excited to come into a new program and put my stamp on these squads,” said LaFollette.  “The program was built from the ground up during the first two years.  We are now in a position to be much more competitive within the conference this season.  The bar of athletes and recruits has been raised each of the past two years, with this class being the deepest and most talented yet.  I expect to push into the top half of the conference this season and challenge for the top of the conference within two years.”  Guilford will field its largest squad ever in 2006, consisting of 14 men and 16 women. With the major boost of new runners, depth is no longer a concern for the Quakers.  “Only the top-five runners earn a team score in a meet,” LaFollette said.  “The added depth will allow our five scoring spots on both squads to be very competitive this season.”

Guilford returns 10 experienced runners from the 2005 squads. Leading the charge for the men will be senior Jeremy Bante, a two-year team captain. He is joined by a pair of experienced returners, junior Kevin Smith and sophomore Chris Walker.  The trio regularly ran the Quakers’ top times in 2005.  Matthew Hasleton and Brett McDonough also return for their third season adding depth and experience.  The veterans are joined by nine newcomers including freshmen Tyler Brown, Max Karaff, Marc Ramsay, and sophomore Noah Mace, a transfer from NCAA Division I UNC-Wilmington.  These four are projected to make an immediate impact on the team based on their times from last season.

Senior Laurie Henninger and sophomore Emily Frenzel will captain the women’s squad in 2006.  They posted two of the top-three individual times on the team in 2005. Junior Johanna Naradzay, Guilford's Most Improved Runner in 2004, returns along with Katelin Hudak and Brenna Powers. They are joined by 16 new runners, including freshmen Charissa Duncan, Izzy Gillette-BullTail, Paige McCall and Sarah Tominack, all of whom posted strong times in high school competition.

The ODAC men’s and women’s cross country coaches ranked Guilford eighth and seventh in their repective preseason polls, with the top spots going to 2005 champions Washington and Lee.  The Quakers open the season September 2 at the Marlin Invitational at Virginia Wesleyan in Virginia Beach , VA.  After the September 9 Generals Invitational at Washington and Lee, Guilford returns home to host its first meet on the newly-completed Guilford College campus course.  “We are very excited to have our first home campus meet this fall,” said LaFollette. “Our runners will be familiar with the course, and it will give our student-athletes a definite advantage.”  In addition, three meets at Greensboro's Hagan Stone Park highlight the Quakers’ schedule: the Old North State Championships, the Greensboro Invitational, and the Hagan Stone Classic.  Guilford will host the Old North State meets.