2012 Cross Country Yearbook - Indiana State University Athletics

Men’s Cross Country 2012 Season PreviewIndiana State’s men’s team enters the2012 cross country season with morereliance on a young group of runnersthan in year’s past. The Sycamoreshave just three seniors on the teamthis year with five sophomores, eightred shirt freshmen, and eight truefreshmen. The tradition of SycamoreCross Country, however, is in goodhands with this group of young men.ISU won their third straight MissouriValley Conference Championship a yearago and has four veterans returning whoplaced in the top 30 at the conferencemeet. The team title was the Sycamoresninth championship as a member ofthe Missouri Valley Conference. TheSycamores won three straight MVCteam titles from 2004 to 2006 afterwinning their first title in 1996 andgaining their second conference crownin 1998.Head coach John McNichols, whois beginning his 30th season at thehelm of the program, believes thatthe Sycamores have a good chance ofwinning their fourth straight title thisyear if they continue to train hard andremain healthy.The Sycamores lost the services oftwo seniors to graduation includingJeremiah Vaughan and Craig Padgett.Vaughan finished second at the 2011MVC Championships becoming thefourth Sycamore to finish second at theValley championships. He was a threetimeAll-Conference performer, finishingfifth in 2010 and sixth in 2009.Padgett was also a three-time All-Conference performer, finishing fourth in2011 and 2010 after a 10th place finishin 2009. Padgett also earned All-Regionhonors with a 16 th place finish at theGreat Lakes Region Championship.Leadership for the 2012 team hastransferred to four seniors in DustinBetz, Albaro Escalera, and CoreyHahn.Betz and Escalera are All-Conferenceperformers with Betz finishing sixthand Escalera seventh at the 2011championships. Escalera earned his firstAll-Conference recognition in 2010 witha third place finish. Hahn and Sullivan,normally middle distance runners forthe Sycamore track & field team, didnot compete in 2011.There is plenty of experience amongthe six sophomores on the 2012 teamled by Tristan Selby who was 18th atthe MVC Championships and DrewGambill who was 26th in 2012. MiltonBrinza ran in five meets during theseason and was 51st at the IndianaIntercollegiates. Brad Adams and BryanHorsman did not compete a year ago.Eight red-shirt freshmen are alsoon the team with several expected tocompete for one of the top spots on theroster this year including Taylor Head,John Mascari and Gabe Ocasio. Otherred-shirt freshmen are Dylan Bertsch,TSteve Humes, Kyle Kauffman, andGarrett Smith.Five true freshmen will also competefor a roster spot including AndrewKump, Nathan Kump, Kyle Nurse,Daniel Swem, and David Timlin.The Indiana State season begins inPeoria, Ill., this year as the Sycamorescompete in the Bradley Invitationalwhich will be run on Friday, Sept. 7.That will be followed a week later bythe 2012 Indiana Intercollegiates whichwill be hosted by Indiana State on theLaVern Gibson Championship CrossCountry Course at the Wabash ValleyFamily Sports Center on Sept. 14.The Sycamores finished third a yearago behind Purdue and Indiana withVaughan leading the Indiana Statecharge with a fourth place finish. Betzwas 10th.That is the only home meet of the2012 season for Indiana State as theSycamores will compete in the NotreDame Invitational on Sept. 28, thePre-National Invitational at Louisvilleon Oct. 13, the MVC Championships inNormal, Ill., on Oct. 27, and competethe regular season with the HoosierInvitational on Nov. 2. The 2012 GreatLakes Region Championship will beheld at the University of Wisconsin onNov. 9 with the 2012 NCAA DivisionI Men’s and Women’s Cross CountryChampionships in Louisville on Nov.17.Indiana State will again host theNCAA Division I National Championshipsin 2013 which will mark the 10th timein the last 12 years that Indiana Statehas hosted the prestigious event.Sycamore Cross Country 2012 YearbookPage A5