GIRLS XC PREVIEW: Comets look strong again with junior trio

Kokomo Tribune - Saturday, August 13, 2011

Kokomo — Eastern’s girls cross country team set the local pace in 2010. The Comets won their second straight sectional championship, came within a point of winning their first regional championship and saw Bethany Neeley record a program first when she competed in the state finals.

The Comets are poised to set the pace again in 2011 behind their talented junior trio of Bethany Neeley, twin sister Brittany Neeley and Sarah Wagner.

“You don’t have a group of girls like this come along too often so we have high goals and we’re just hoping to be able to advance a little farther each year,” Eastern coach Brandon Mink said.

Elsewhere in Howard County, Northwestern, Kokomo and Western will build their lineups around returning runners and Taylor is back after not fielding a team last season. The Titans have just one runner to this point.

The following are capsules on the five teams.

Eastern

Bethany Neeley, Brittany Neeley and Wagner had strong showings in the 2010 tournament series, finishing 1-2-5 in the Logansport Sectional and 2-3-9 in the Culver Academies Regional. Bethany Neeley then took 12th in the New Prairie Semistate to secure a spot in the state finals at Terre Haute where she finished 45th in a field of 189 runners.

The Neeleys and Wagner are back for the Comets, but Mink has to replace his Nos. 4 and 5 runners.

Freshman Avery Ewing likely will fill the No. 4 spot.

“She did very well in junior high, so she’s had some good cross country experience, and she’s really been working hard. The other girls have brought her under their wings,” Mink said.

Candidates for the remaining spots are senior Sarah Willis, junior Breann Donson, sophomores Megan Hedges and Cambry Martin and freshman Elyssa DeAngulo. Donson also plays volleyball. Martin was the Comets’ No. 7 runner last year.

“If we can get some of the girls to develop quickly into what we’ll hope they’ll be by the end of the season, we could have a really great season. But we do have some question marks there for [the Nos.] 4 and 5 spots and beyond,” Mink said.

Kristi Reprogle will serve as an assistant coach this fall.

Eastern will open its season Thursday in the Northwestern Combo.

Kokomo

The Wildkats have just five runners in camp, but coach Andrea Harris sees reason for optimism.

“They all work well together,” she said. “You don’t necessarily think about that [as a key to success] in cross country, but I think they will definitely challenge each other as far as when they’re running their miles and doing their workouts. I think we’re going to have a lot of good groupings within that five where they can push each other to improve.”

The Wildkats have three returning runners — senior Annika Taber and juniors Kierra Bronson and Morgan Kemper. The newcomers are junior Erica Goodman and sophomore Hannah Reecer. Harris noted Goodman is coming off a good track season in the spring.

Harris is hoping the team, and especially Taber, can have a healthy season.

“I would love for [Taber] to have a great senior year. She has struggled the last two years with injuries — a stress fracture her sophomore year and then just a plethora of things last year. I would love for her to get back to where she was her freshman year and early in her sophomore, and be running well,” Harris said.

Kokomo opens with the Huntington North Invitational next Saturday.

Northwestern

The Tigers have to rebuild the top of their lineup following the graduation losses of Hannah Ault and Gretchen Catron.

“The girls seem to be much more even this year than we’ve been in the past. There are a lot of them all together, in the same area, and we’ve picked up some younger girls who are promising,” coach Dave Stevens said. “All in all, I think we’re going to compete. We should do well this year — [if the team can stay] injury free.”

Senior Britanny Jocius and junior Heidi Freeman are the Tigers’ top returnees. Jocius finished 14th in the Culver Academies Regional, advancing to run in the New Prairie Semistate. Stevens noted Freeman is looking good in practice after battling illness in 2010.

Also back from the Tigers’ sectional lineup are junior Elise Cobb and sophomores Taryn Thor, Karly Sprouse and Olivia Price.

The Tigers also have senior Jenna Jordan, sophomore Lauren Ward and freshmen Megan Bunch and Rachel Jones.

Stevens likes what he is seeing in practice so far.

“The attitudes are really good, the work in practice every day is really good. I think we have a lot of potential,” he said. “A few of the girls who are moving up to the longer distance and moving up to a constant varsity spot, it puts a little pressure on them, but I haven’t seen anything that looks like any of them are shying away from it. They all are out there hammering it every day.”

Injuries and illness limited the Tigers to a seventh-place finish in the 2010 Culver Academies Regional, two spots shy of advancing to the New Prairie Semistate. Stevens points to advancing as a team to the 2011 semistate as his team’s top goal.

Northwestern kicks off its season with its annual Combo meet on Thursday.

Taylor

The Titans have just one runner, freshman Ashley Nguyen. She is new to the sport.

“We’re trying to find her some teammates. The recruiting is not done yet. We have a couple prospects,” Taylor coach Matt Carlile said.

Taylor kicks off its season Thursday in the Northwestern Combo.

Western

The Panthers’ lineup is anchored by a pair of veterans, seniors Krissy Durr and Cara Love.

“Krissy and Cara both ran some races [following the 2010 season],” coach Nikki McCracken said. “Krissy actually had a PR in a Nike regional so that kind of inspired her to stay focused for the rest of the year in her offseason training. She has some high goals for herself.

“Cara was our most improved runner last year.”

The Panthers’ roster also shows seniors Gina Jakubowicz and Katie Singer, juniors Jessica Love, Cami Griffith and Olivia Nixon, sophomore Faith Mooney and freshman Nicole Hampshire. Jakubowicz and Jessica Love battled injuries last season. Singer and Mooney are new to the sport.

McCracken is encouraged by what she has seen so far from her squad.

“They are really stepping up to it. I can start to see the fire in their eyes. They’re starting to think, ‘OK, just because we lost [veterans from last year’s team] doesn’t mean that we can’t be a good team.’ They’re really pulling each other along. That competitiveness between the group is a lot higher this year than it was last year. That will hopefully help us to get better,” she said.

Western opens with the Northwestern Combo on Thursday.