XC| New Era for Gaels Cross Country

by SMCGaels.com correspondent Brandon Smith

MORAGA, Calif.- For the past five years, the Saint Mary's running program has developed an immense amount from where it once was. It has grown from a bottom tier regional team, to a team capable of becoming ranked in the top-15 in the West.

It has been a long journey for the veterans on the Saint Mary's team, but with the 2015 season right around the corner there is the sensation of a new era for the Gaels running program. After a seemingly never-ending period of long-runs, core routines, early morning runs, and threshold/tempo workouts, the Gaels have finally returned to campus looking stronger and fitter than ever.

Our athletes and coaches are optimistic about the season," said head coach Marty Kinsey. "We have molded into a competitive program and are experiencing a culture of success growing on all fronts. We have some of the hardest working student-athletes on campus. They are driven to excel in their sport and in the classroom. It truly is an exciting time to be a Gael."

For the Gaels, summer training is a time to build up one's volume from the previous season or recoup from any injuries from the previous season. When talking to associate head coach, Tom Kloos, about summer training he stated, "Summer training has gone remarkably well for a handful of our athletes, including the incoming freshman. Gabe Arias, our top returner from last year, is leading the team in summer miles and is staying healthy. Additionally, Cormac McCullaugh, Zach Hansen, and Noah McDermott trained for over a month in Tahoe, which will give them a slight edge in fitness when coming back down to sea level."

When discussing the women's training, Kloos mentioned, "Carina Novell has logged the second highest mileage on both teams, which is remarkable considering she is working a full time internship at a law firm in San Francisco. Likewise, Allie Timbrell and Abbey Bolt, also had a solid summer of training on paper, it will be exciting to see their fitness as we get rolling into the season".

Saint Mary's Athletes Thoughts on Training & Upcoming Season:

When talking to the veterans of the men's team, Zach Hansen and Cormac McCullaugh, it seems confidence has never been higher coming into a season. "Not just individually, but as a team, we have been able to stay healthy, consistent, and increase the intensity of our training… having teammates to train with in Lake Tahoe certainly had a positive effect on the overall quality of training," said McCullaugh.

Looking back at all my years on cross country, this team is undoubtedly the most mature, confident, motivated, and goal-oriented team yet," said Hansen. In light of this, the bar for the season is set higher than it ever has before. "It is imperative that we all come into training and especially races with a present mind and body…We are here to win, not just be Division 1 athletes in a random race," said McCullaugh.

Likewise, the women's team developed physically and mentally over the past few years, "There has been a positive shift in attitude, we are excited for the incoming freshman, and ready to go out and compete as a team," said Carina Novell.

Midway through the veterans career, Coach Kinsey gave Coach Kloos the task to develop the training plans for the women "Buying into Tom's training methods have proved successful…junior year something just clicked in terms of racing and training," continued Novell. "I am eager to see what can be accomplished individually and team wise. Taking down the 6k record and moving up as a team in conference would be ideal."

Coaching Perspective: Training & Racing Going Forward

Although summer training has gone well, it is certainly not time to be complacent for the Gaels. Small additions to training methodologies have built up over the past few years and this year is no different. "Over the past few seasons there has been a large focus on ancillary work and efficient mechanics, now that there is a foundation to work from, we should see an increase in the volume for workouts and overall miles," said Kloos.

With a strong core of returnees and a talented freshman class the Gaels have the potential to rewrite the record books with this season. "On the men's side we are focusing on being competitive at a regional level. Considering the depth of the men's team and the fact that we placed 16^th last year, placing in the top 15 would be a huge success for our program as a whole. In regards to conference, placing top 4 would be great considering the competitiveness of the West Coast Conference," said Kinsey.

For the women's side, this is one of the first seasons that we have a core group of athletes who can pack it together and really be competitive. After a rough conference performance last season, the women re-evaluated their training as a whole. Starting in spring they came into workouts and races reinvigorated, which positively impacted their summer training regimen. Team-wise and individually, I am excited to see what the women will be able to accomplish by the time conference come around," said Kloos.

Looking Forward: 2015 Cross Country Season

To start the 2015 season off on the right foot, the Gaels will be heading up to the beautiful area of Lake Tahoe for a week of training. Although training camp won't give the runners any physiological edge, it will be a time to develop team culture and crank out quality training runs.

Not long after their return from Tahoe, the Gaels will kick off their season at the USF Invitational, Saturday September 5^th. About a month later, at the Sacramento State Jamboree (10/3), the men's and women's squad will have a chance to duke it out with regionally ranked teams.

Looking further into the season, the WCC Championships will be held in Spokane, Washington on October 31^st. On November 13^th, the Gaels will compete in the NCAA West Regional on a familiar course in Seattle, Wash.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date news, photos, videos and other features you can follow Saint Mary's College varsity athletic teams on Twitter (@SMCGaels), Instagram (@SMCGaels) and Facebook Facebook.com/SMCGaels. You can also watch great video on-demand highlights and features as well as most Gaels sporting events live via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com.

SUPPORT THE GAELS
A gift to the Gael Athletic Fund directly benefits Saint Mary's student-athletes. This allows them the opportunity to attain an education guided by our Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions while participating in a competitive athletic experience. Monies raised through the Fund will assist in funding scholarships, facilities, operating budgets and academic support.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Noah McDermott

Allie Timbrell

GAELS IN THE PROS

CHAMPIONS

HALL OF FAME

Footer

Upcoming Events