Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Cross Country Expects Big Things in 2004
08/30/2004 | 12:00:00 | Cross Country
Aug. 30, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University men's and women's cross country teams merge under the direction of Matt Sparks, and for the Salukis to be successful in 2004, opposites will have to attract.
After spending the last three seasons at the helm of the women's team, Sparks was named coach of the combined program last summer. And for the native of Noblesville, Ind., the new role might take some time getting used to.
"When I was a graduate assistant at Indiana, I worked primarily with the men's program, so I have that background," Sparks said. "However, it's been probably four years since I've actually coached men one-on-one."
"One of the biggest challenges for me as coach of both the men and women will be getting to know the personalities of the student-athletes and learning what helps each of them to compete."
This year, SIU fields two different teams and each has the potential to finish among the top-two in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The women, who did just that a year ago, bring back their top-three performers as part of a young 12-member roster, dominated by 11 underclassmen. The men, on the other hand, go eight runners deep and sport a more experienced squad with four veteran returnees.
Sparks believes depth will be key in helping each team achieve success.
"The personnel on the women's team goes deep enough for me to determine our top eight to 10 runners," said Sparks. "On the men's side, we may be searching for people after our first five or six."
In other words, each team will just have to go about business in different ways.
The Saluki women, who finished second in the MVC last season, will be led by the patented trio of senior Noa Beitler (Rehovot, Israel) and sophomores Brittani Christensen (Belvidere, Ill.) and Lindsay Wagner (Mt. Vernon, Ill.).
Sophomores Cherylynn Schilling (Moores Hill, Ind.) and Sarah Rinker (Pontiac, Ill.), along with freshmen Shelby Brice (Troy, Ill.) and Jessica Ordway (Holgate, Ohio) add to the Dawgs' potent arsenal.
SIU's number one threat, Beitler finished among the top-10 in four meets a year ago. Her time of 17:53 at the MVC Championship marked a career-best and was fastest on the team. She garnered all-conference and scholar-athlete honors as well.
Christensen clocked the Salukis' second-best time with a 18:13 at the MVC Championship.
Wagner's time of 18:14 at the conference meet was third-best a year ago. It was also strong enough for a12th-place showing which narrowly missed all-conference honors.
Sparks expects the three to have a solid year in 2004.
"I look for Noa, Brittani and Lindsay to step it up and finish among the top-10 in the conference meet," said Sparks. "They are the nucleus of what I think is a solid top-seven."
Like Beitler, Christensen and Wagner, Schilling and Rinker also enjoyed their share of success.
Each later competed at the USA Track and Field Junior National Championships. Schilling even achieved All-American status at the prestigious event.
As for Brice and Ordway, both were all-state picks as preps. Brice attended Triad High School, while Ordway went to Holgate (Ohio).
Junior Ty-Nica Davis (Madisonville, Ky.) and sophomores Katie Birn (McHenry, Ill.), Katie Ringelestein (Bloomington, Ill.), Heather Smudde (Geneva, Ill.) and Brittany Whitelock (St. Petersburg, Fla.) round out the women's team.
Birn (competed at NCAA Regional) Ringelestein (competed at NCAA Regional) and Whitelock (participated in every meet) were most productive out of that bunch a year ago.
On the men's side, seniors Eli Baker (Marion, Ill.) and Tony LaChiana (Oak Lawn, Ill.), junior Joe Byrne (Patrick Down, N. Ireland) and sophomore Diarmuid Grant (Buncranina County Danegal, Ireland) look to pave the way for the Dawgs.
That combination, along with junior Kyle Monroe (Springfield, Ill.) and sophomore Hunter Sheldon (Vernon Hills, Ill.) should enable the Salukis to build on their fourth-place finish at the MVC Championship last season.
A MVC Scholar-Athlete, Baker ran a season and career-best 24:49.80 en route to a second-place finish at the Bradley Open. That performance was one of two top-10 finishes on the year.
LaChiana is coming off a strong track season which should set the tone for a successful cross country campaign in 2004.
The talented Irish tandem of Byrne and Grant also ran well.
Byrne's career-best 24:34 at the MVC Championship was SIU's top time in 2003. He also clinched the Saluki Invitational's individual title, one of four meets in which he finished as the Dawgs' top runner.
Grant, on the other hand, ran a career-best 24:58 at the MVC Championship and registered the Salukis' top finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional (36th; 32:17).
As for Monroe and Sheldon, their season-bests came at the Saluki Invitational. Monroe took 27th, while Sheldon followed at 28th.
Junior Rob Duncan (North Vernon, Ind.) and sophomore Thomas Gentry (Berwyn, Ill.) cap off the 2004 men's squad.
2004 Schedule
SIU will host three meets this season, including the Saluki Open (Sept. 3), the Saluki Invitational (Oct. 9) and the MVC Championships (Oct. 30). In addition to the three, the Salukis visit the Memphis Twilight (Sept. 11), Eastern Illinois Panther Open (Sept. 17), Notre Dame Invitational (Oct. 1) and Arkansas Chili Pepper Invitational (Oct. 16).
"This year, we've bumped up the intensity as far as the schedule goes," Sparks said. "The Notre Dame Invitational is one of the more competitive meets throughout the country, and the Chili Pepper Invitational at Arkansas is one of best as well."
"Having a schedule like this will give us an opportunity to see what some of the better teams in the country are doing and how we perform against them. Whether it's this year or a couple years down the road, facing stiff competition should help us in qualifying for the national meet."
