Cross Country Excited for 2025 Season

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The uphill and downhill of a 6k faculty cross nation course will be daunting.

But it is nothing in contrast to a school steeplechase race, which incorporates three boundaries and a run over a barrier and right into a water characteristic every lap.

And to Western Michigan University ladies’s cross nation head coach Kevin Cataldo, there’s nothing like having 4 of his cross nation runners prepare for the 2025 season by  working the steeplechase final May within the Mid-American Conference Track and Field Championships.

”I believe working the steeplechase helps in cross nation,” junior Lily Overton stated. ”It’s powerful, working over these boundaries.”

WMU opens the cross nation season on Friday on the Jeff Drenth Memorial at Central Michigan University. The staff then takes just a few weeks off earlier than internet hosting the George Dales Invitational on Sept. 19.

While solely moving into the steeplechase for the primary time this spring, Overton shocked the sphere on the MAC meet, ending second and making All-MAC second staff. Also working within the steeplechase and returning for cross nation are senior Madison Zarembski, sophomores Ava Kurczewski and Lara Machado Pereira.

Also on the cross nation staff are senior Lauren Sancrant, juniors Madison Clor, Larissa McGrath and Rebekah Asselin, sophomores Shannon Gillahan and Lillian Zelasko and freshmen, Lily Baibak, Joy Evans, Emma Henkel and Kaelin Hughes.

Of that group, Zelasko, Sancrant, Pereira, Overton, McGrath and Clor all positioned in final season’s MAC Cross Country Championship.

”We solely misplaced two seniors from final yr and return everybody else so I’m positively enthusiastic about this season,” Cataldo stated. ”We’re in a great place to indicate our depth.

”We’re nonetheless on the younger aspect, however I’m not going to make use of that as an excuse anymore. I really feel now we have the expertise.”

Overton is certainly a type of gifted runners. Last season, she completed 54th within the MAC meet.

”In my earlier cross nation season, I wasn’t too completely satisfied, however my indoor and out of doors monitor seasons gave me new confidence in my coaching and my teammates and coach are all enthusiastic about this cross nation season,” she stated.

This coming from somebody who, when rising up in Australia did not suppose she would run cross nation.

”I used to be at all times advised once I wasn’t a cross nation runner…that I ought to simply keep on with the pace races,” Overton stated. ”In Australia, I in all probability ran cross nation 5 instances in my life.

”Now, I’m working with a few of my greatest buddies, so it doesn’t matter what, I’m going to run my greatest for them.”

Cataldo is completely satisfied to have Zarembski again after lacking all of final season with an damage.

”In her first cross nation exercise, she seemed superb and that’s thrilling,” he stated. ”With the folks now we have again, they’re used to the 6k distance and a number of the programs we’ll run.

”They should not be rattled by a number of the title colleges from Power 4 conferences we’ll race in opposition to.”

Unlike many sports activities, cross nation runners attempt to construct up in the course of the season after which put all of it on the road on the MAC Championships, Nov. 1, in Buffalo.

”The first couple of meets are to get their ft moist,” Cataldo stated. ”Every meet is a studying expertise to prepare for Nov. 1.”

Well, 4 of them already know what it is prefer to get their ft moist, having run by means of a water characteristic throughout final spring’s MAC steeplechase.

”I might have a look at steeplechase being cross nation on the monitor,” Cataldo stated. ”I really feel that may translate properly to this season.”