SEASON PREVIEW: Cross Country opens fall Slate on Friday and Saturday

IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas men’s and women’s cross country teams open the fall season this weekend. On Friday, September 4, the Lady Crusaders will travel to Tyler, Texas, for the Braveheart Invitational. The Dallas men’s cross country squad begins the campaign on Sept. 5 in Seguin, Texas, for the Texas Lutheran Invitational. Both teams have eight competitions slated on the schedule this year.

Second-year head coach Matt Barber holds optimistic expectations for both groups heading into the new season. He states, “Both the men’s and women’s teams can reasonably expect to see success built on last season. Both teams finished third last year in the conference and our goal is to move into the top two.”

On the men’s side, a trio of seniors including: Ryan McAnany (Kansas City, Kan.), Jack Grubner (Needham, Mass.), and Javier Secaira (Tacoma, Wash.) all expect to be key contributors this season. Junior Kevin Doherty (Lenexa, Kan.) joins the cross country team for the first time, but had success during track and field last spring. He set the record in the 3,000-Meter Steeplechase with a 10:21.31 minute score.

McAnany, who was named UD’s 2014 Team MVP and on the 2014 All-Conference Men’s Cross Country Team, enters as the returning number one runner for the team. He led the Crusaders individually at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championships with sixth place by running a time of 28:06:00 minutes. The Kansas City, Kansas, native also set the school record in the 5K with a time of 16:07 minutes in the Austin College Invitational last fall.

A look at the 2015 Crusaders’ Roster. (Season Personal Records listed for returners)

The Austin College Invitational was the highest team finish for both teams, taking second overall.

On the women’s side, two seniors anchor a young group of runners that will be getting the opportunity to compete after a large graduating class from 2014. The duo of Ruth Fritz (Boise, Idaho) and Emma Polefko (Cypress, Texas) bring veteran leadership and sophomore Angela Moore (Austin, Texas) adds experience after racing last spring for the women’s track and field team.

A look at the 2015 Lady Crusaders’ Roster. (Season Personal Records listed for returners)

Dallas will be hosting the University Dallas Invitational on October 17 in Irving, Texas – the last time it was held was Oct. 19, 2013. Some other intriguing matchups include the Texas Division III Invitational Championship on Oct. 3, hosted by East Texas Baptist University. On Oct. 31, the SCAC Championship will be held in McKinney, Texas. UD also will participate in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) on November 7. For those that qualify, the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championship will be in Winchester, Virginia.

The Crusaders anticipate 2015 being an exciting year on the course. Coach Barber emphasized focus on his team doing the “little things: easy mileage recoveries, strength training, stretching after every run, doing core routines etc. Doing the little things habitually will not only lend to a successful season, but translate into years down the road this fall.”

Follow all new and results for Dallas Cross Country on udallasathletics.com.