After a strong showing at the Bradley Classic Oct. 12, the Saint Louis University cross country team will head to Philadelphia this weekend for the Atlantic 10 Championships.
“Since the beginning of the season we’ve been working for the conference championship,” senior Captain Steve Vargas said. “Our whole training program is designed to peak towards the A-10 championships.”
Two weeks ago in Peoria, Ill. at Newman Golf Course the Bills had their final tuneup before the A-10s, competing in the Bradley Classic. The men finished 12th out of 15 teams, while the women placed ninth out of 17 teams.
Junior Mary Maloney posted the best time on the women’s side, finishing the 6K in 21:52. Senior Laura Coyer followed her with a time of 22:22.
“We knew this event was going to be a measuring stick for us to use as we compare ourselves with some of the top teams in the region,” interim coach Jon Bell said. “We proved we are able to complete against them. I am looking forward to seeing the team compete at the A-10 Championship in two weeks.”
Throughout this season, the Bills endured changes in their coaching staff, as previous head coach Mike Nelson left for Marquette last year.
As a highlight for the season, Vargas and Coyer set the men’s and women’s records in the 10K and 5K at the Brooks Twilight event in Memphis Oct. 6.
For the Bills, the A-10 Championships will be their first meet against most of their conference foes, and Bell said expectations are high for both squads heading into the race.
The women, who finished eighth last year, at the A-10 Championships, are predicted to finish fifth, according to a recent poll of Atlantic 10 coaches.
The men hope to improve upon their 11th-place finish last year. According to the same coaches’ poll, the team was picked to finish eighth, which is an improvement from their 10th place preseason ranking.
La Salle has won the past three A-10 titles on the women’s side and five of the past six men’s titles. While La Salle is the favorite again to win, Bell said the Bills have a good chance for success if they can stick to the race plan and continue to run intelligently.
“We are as prepared as we have ever been for the conference meet, and I’m excited to see what we do in Philadelphia,” Bell said. “If we continue to compete like we have been, we should do fine. We want to finish better than what we were ranked in the preseason, and this is our chance to prove to the league that SLU is serious about cross country and track and field.”
