Mavs Head South To Wichita State This Week
Sep 5, 2013 | Cross Country
OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha cross country will return to Kansas this weekend for the second of seven meets leading up to the league's championship meet on Nov. 2. The Mavericks will compete in the J.K. Gold Classic at Wichita State on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 9 a.m. It will be second of three meets they compete in in the state of Kansas.
This Season
The Mavericks are competing in their 32nd season of women's cross country in 2013. It is also the third year of their reclassification to Division I. They are not eligible to participate in NCAA championship competition until completing their four-year reclassification, nor are they eligible to win the Summit League Championship. The Mavericks will be able to win the Summit and compete nationally in 2015.
The Coaches
Chris Richardson is in his first season overseeing the Omaha cross country and track & field teams as the head coach following six years as an assistant coach. Assistant coach Marc Bierbaum, now in his fourth season, guides the cross country team in addition to UNO's distance runners in track & field. Last year, he led the Mavericks to a fifth-place finish in the Summit League Championship after the Mavericks were picked ninth in the pre-season coaches poll. Bierbaum was a three-time national qualifier in cross country and track at Dana College where he graduated in 2001. He is assisted by volunteer assistant coach Cliff Cisar.
First Time Out
The Omaha cross country team kicked off its 2013 season at the Bob Timmons Classic hosted by Kansas on Saturday, Aug. 31. Kristin Rogers led the Mavericks, finishing 11th overall in a time of 19:48.98 over the 5K course. Freshman Lindsay Bruns wasn't far behind, coming in 14th in a time of 19:59.79.
Ashley Kildow was third for the Mavs and 25th overall in a time of 20:32.89, just ahead of Kristen Carmichael who posted a time of 20:47.85, good for 27th overall. MiKayla Peck rounded out the scoring for the Mavericks, coming in 30th with a time of 21:02.36.
Other Mavericks running included Kayla Fenske (21:22.61/32nd), Avery Schmidt (22:07.89/37th), Jackie Mezick (24:10.64/45th), Emily Moore (24:50.78/49th), Brittany Phillips (25:09.25/52nd), Catherine Davison (25:13.43/53rd) and Claire Cunningham (28:03.61/61st).
Comings and Goings
The Mavericks return 11 runners from last season's team and two more, redshirt freshman Kristen Carmichael and senior Brittany Phillips, who did not compete due to injury. Juniors Katarina Zarudnaya, Kristin Rogers, Ashley Kildow and MiKayla Peck should provide a solid nucleus for UNO. All four ran consistenty among the top five for the Mavs during much of last year. Zarudnaya was twice UNO's number two runner including in the Summit League Championship.
The Mavericks added four new runners to the roster in sophomore Emily Moore and freshmen Lindsey Bruns, Claire Cunningham and Catherine Davison. Moore and Cunningham are Omaha natives, running for Burke and Westside High Schools respectively. Bruns comes to UNO from West Branch, Iowa where she ran for West Branch High School. Davison hails from Auburn, Neb. where she attended Auburn High School.
The Mavericks lost two graduating seniors. Amanda Vorthmann was UNO's top finisher in all six meets last season, earning two overall wins. Also departed is senior Nicole Behm who competed in five of six meets last year and was one of UNO's top five runners in each meet.
Up Next
The Mavericks will head to Lincoln to take part in the Wood Greeno Nebraska Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21.
