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2001 Cross Country And Track And Field Outlook
8/23/2001 12:00 AM | Cross Country
Aug. 23, 2001
The Utah cross country and track and field programs venture into a new era this season. For the first time in 22 years, the Utes have new leadership with former head coach Mike Jones retiring at the conclusion of the 2001 outdoor track and field season. Hoping to ease the transition from the "Jones Era" are Fresno State alum and former Ute assistant Lisa Collet, and Weber State alum and former assistant coach Brian Appell.
Collet will head the women's track and field program. Under the guidance of herself and Jones last season, the Ute women placed fifth at the conference indoor championships and sixth at the outdoor championships, finishing with all-time bests in points both times. Appell is the new head coach for the cross country teams, which notched fourth- place finishes at the 2000 Mountain West Conference Championships on both the men's and women's side.
This season, the Utes possess more athletes and will compete in more events in track and field than ever before. Collet is optimistic of achieving top-three team finishes at the conference indoor and outdoor track and field championships, several national qualifiers and as many as five All-Americans.
Cross Country Appell brings an impressive resume with him to Utah. In four seasons at Weber State as the assistant cross country coach, he helped produced nine All-Americans. Last season, Weber State placed 14th at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Championships thanks largely to some of Appell's runners. Implementing a new approach to the distance program, he hopes to develop the Utes into one of the top teams in the MWC.
"I believe in a team mentality, where athletes depend on each other for strong finishes," says Appell. "In cross country you score the top-five athletes, which means we need those five to run within one minute of each other's time."
Appell foresees All-American Teren Jameson running away from the pack as he continues to develop into one the best distance runners in Utah's history. "Nobody can keep up with Teren, so our goal is to get the two through five spots within a one minute split time of his finish time," says Appell. "Teren should win a conference championship and once again achieve All-America status. I'm not aware of anyone in the conference who can run with him at this time."
Jameson finished 38th at the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championships, but was one of the top 30 non-foreign runners to finish earning him All-America honors. At the conference championships, Jameson finished third.
B.J. Christenson is expected to lead the two through five runners. "He is a great team leader and should achieve all-conference honors in cross country, as he did during the outdoor track season in 2001," says Appell.
Rounding out the top-five runners are senior Aleksandar Tomas, junior Lion Gallegos and sophomore Colby Frazier. Tomas, like Christenson, joined the program last year as a junior college transfer. Frazier came on strong towards the end of the track and field season and hopes to pick up where he left off this fall. Another runner with potential to make the top group is junior Torin Koos, a dual-sport athlete who is also member of the Utah ski team. Koos finished 11th at the World Cup Cross Country Ski Championships in 2001.
New to the team are high school recruits Adam Parker and Romney Stevens, and transfer Brent Moore. Parker was a highly sought after recruit out of Wyoming, Stevens comes from Salt Lake City East High School and Moore will be a sophomore this season after transferring from Southern Virginia College. "These three are good athletes and they should develop into great competitors in the conference over time," says Appell. "I firmly believe in developing potential and I am committed to our newcomers for the next few years."
Moving to the women's side, Appell has decided to redshirt five of his athletes for the 2001 cross country season. "This is to ensure a more balanced team in the coming years and to allow these athletes to develop to their potential over the year without the risk of injury," says Appell.
Included in those reshirting are sophomores Charity Catmull, Jennnifer Brusch and Nellie Hammons. Catmull and Hammons flip-flopped top honors for the Utes during the 2000 season. Brusch came on at the end of the year and was the first Ute to cross the finish line at the MWC Championships. Sophomore April Frame and freshman Jenny Fidler will also redshirt this season.
Returning for Utah is junior Trina Bateman, who was the first Ute to cross the finish line at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships. Another returnee for the Utes is Tara (Tidwell) Hall, who is coming back to finish her final year of eligibility after missing two seasons with a leg injury. Hall was injured when the bus carrying the Ute track and field team to an indoor meet in Boise, Idaho, was involved in an accident during a winter storm in January of 1999.
New to the team are in-state recruits Jenny Gustavson and Elise Greenwood. Gustavson is from Alta High School, while Greenwood was one of the top recruits in Utah, comes from American Fork High School.
Track & Field
Collet assisted Jones for two seasons before taking over the reins of the track and field program last summer. She is well acquainted with the athletes on the team, which she considers a plus. "I know where our strengths and weaknesses are as a team," says Collet. "We have a tremendous amount of talent. I believe our only weakness is in the short sprints. Every other event is a strength for us."
One of the most notable changes Collet has made is the addition of the pole vault event to the regular lineup. "We've never officially competed in the pole vault," tells Collet. "We experimented in the event last season, but this season we have recruited athletes that are experienced and ready to compete. Adding this event, as well as more athletes to the program, should allow us to pump up our score and become more competitive in the Mountain West Conference Championships."
Collet admits losing All-American Chantel Goldsberry to graduation is the biggest obstacle the team has to overcome. "Chantel was a great athlete," says Collet. "She dominated the conference in the hammer throw and was a team captain." Goldsberry set the school record in the hammer throw (190'5") in 2000.
Three other key losses for the team are Johanna Nielsen, Shanae Nixon and Mindy Wilder. Nielsen earned all-conference honors in the 10,000-meter run at the outdoor championships after finishing third. Nixon was one of Utah's best high jumpers and heptathletes. She earned all-conference honors at the 2001 outdoor championships by finishing third in the heptathlon with 5,073 points. Wilder was the team's best competitor in the javelin.
Collet expects senior April Jackson to step up as a team leader. Jackson was an All-American at Ricks Junior College, but battled injuries last season. Despite the nagging injuries, Jackson earned all-conference honors at the outdoor championships after finishing in a three way-tie for second place in the high jump (5' 7.25"). When healthy earlier last season, Jackson cleared 5' 9". "April is a great high jumper and hurdler," admits Collet. "She should earn all-conference honors during the indoor and outdoor season in both the 100-meter hurdles and the high jump." Other key returnees are seniors Erianne Allen and Audrey Kiser, and juniors Kristy Slade and Tracy Hamblin. Allen finished fourth at the outdoor championships in the heptathlon (5,018 points). "We expect Erianne and Kristy to carry over the success they had last season in the pentathlon and heptathlon," says Collet. "Audrey will be our strength in the throws." Kiser primarily competes in the shot put, but also contributes in the hammer and weight throw. Hamblin was Utah's ironwoman last season as she competed in five to six events in several meets. "We used Tracy a lot last season because she's good in all of her events," states Collet. "She's going to be strong for us in the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash, and in the team relays." Hamblin will also compete in the pole vault.
New to Utah is Brooke LoBue, who is transferring from Fresno State. "Brooke is a great pole vaulter," says Collet. "She will give us the points we've lacked by not competing in the pole vault previously." Collet expects LoBue to become a national qualifier this season.
Also competing in the pole vault is freshman Trisha Wagner. "Trisha was a top Idaho recruit and should help us develop competitively in the pole vault," says Collet.
Freshman Jenn Jackman was a top Utah recruit in the 300-meter hurdles. She will make the jump to the 400-meter hurdles this season.
Collet is expecting great things from this team. "BYU should win the conference, but we have the potential to finish second or third," says Collet. She also believes several athletes should earn all-conference honors. "I'm excited to be coaching such a talented team during my first season."
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