EAHS Cross Country Preview

(The senior runners for E-town’s cross country programs are, back row from left, Steve Hoffer, Corey Faus, Dustin Horning, Chad Barninger and Dan Hoover. Bottom row, from left, Luke Fox, Rachael Heckman and Jon Carlin.)

Boys Cross Country

Head Coach: John Spittal, 14th season.

2007 Record: 11-10 overall.

Key Returners: Dustin Horning, senior, captain; Chad Barninger, senior; Corey Landis, junior; Jon Carlin, senior; Elliott Clark, junior.

E-town returns a solid top five, led by Horning and Barninger. With the graduation of Conestoga Valley’s Vince McNally, Horning could contend for the top spot in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. He is experienced and fast and will win just about every meet the Bears enter this year. Watch for him to challenge for the top spot in the L-L Meet on Oct. 14 and advance to districts and, possibly, states.

Barninger is a good No. 2 runner that Spittal said will push Horning for the top spot and has the talent to medal in districts and get to states. His ability to push Horning might make E-town’s No. 1 runner even better. But together, Barninger and Horning form a formidable 1-2 punch for the Bears.

Landis and Carlin will run No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. While both are strong individually (Landis could push for a state berth), they could very well be the keys to the Bears’ team record. If they run well behind Horning and Barninger, there aren’t a lot of teams in the section or league that are going to be able to handle E-town.

Clark did see some time at the varsity level last year and is a runner to keep an eye on. If there is an injury or if someone falters, Clark could be someone who steps in without missing a beat.

Key Losses: Ben Gotwalt, graduation; Chris Klinger, graduation.

Both Gotwalt and Klinger brought leadership and kept things loose on the team last year.

Key Newcomers: Nate Kreider, freshman; Drew Sollenburger, sophomore; Zach McCurdy, sophomore.

These three underclassmen add to the Bears’ depth and will get a feel this year of what it will take to run good times against varsity competition.

It won’t be long before Kreider finds himself near the top of the varsity depth chart. He was the No. 2 runner in the Lancaster-Lebanon League at the junior high level last year.

“He is an excellent runner with huge potential,” said Spittal.

Sollenburger makes the jump to varsity after two years at junior high and will increase E-town’s depth at the No. 4 and 5 slots.

McCurdy could be primed for a breakout season. Spittal said he has run behind Sollenburger for the past two years and is ready to bust onto the varsity scene.

Strengths: Experience, depth.

All of the Bears’ top runners have been at the varsity level for a couple of years now and that will help them get through the grind that is the cross country season. E-town will face its share of injuries, but with the depth it has at its fourth and fifth slots, that’s something it can overcome.

“Many runners put in miles over the summer,” Spittal said. “The number of good runners makes sickness and injuries problems that can be overcome. We are strong, experienced and deep.”

Weaknesses: Handling pressure.

It’s not that the Bears can’t handle any pressure at all. It’s more that they are untested as a team. E-town has never had a target on its back as the team to knock off, but it very well could this year with what it will put on the course every meet. If the Bears are going to achieve what they are capable of, they must remain focused.

“We have never had the pressure of being one of the best teams, therefore the team is going to have to keep their eyes on the prize,” Spittal said.

Outlook: This team has a chance to be as good as or better than the 2006 group that went 14-7 – the best record in program history. Spittal certainly has high hopes for the group and lots of confidence in them.

“The team has a great chance to break the total wins school record,” he said. “I think we have a chance to contend for the Lancaster-Lebanon League team title, be in the top five in districts and be the first E-town cross country team to qualify for states.”

As with any sport, the Bears need to stay healthy to have a shot at those 14 wins. If E-town’s top three can stay healthy, they could have one of the best seasons in program history. And they’ll also make their mark individually. Spittal said he thinks Horning should medal at districts and has a shot at a state medal. He also thinks that Barninger and Landis have what it takes to be state qualifiers. If he’s right and the Bears do get three state qualifiers, then the team wins will come. In bunches.

Girls Cross Country

Head Coach: John Spittal, 14th year.

2007 record: 12-9 overall.

Key Returners: Shea Mascia, junior; Sarah Kauffman, junior; Kristi Frye, junior; Adele Roeder, sophomore; Rachael Heckman, senior.

The Bears will continue their resurgence this year with the return of these five good runners.

Mascia emerged last year as the Bears’ best runner and will be E-town’s top athlete again this season. She was an honorable mention Lancaster-Lebanon League all-star last year, and will be one of the first runners to cross the finish line every time she steps onto the course and will be E-town’s biggest threat this year.

Kauffman is entering her third season as a varsity runner already and has had an outstanding preseason, according to Spittal.

Frye is one of E-town’s most improved runners and could have a standout season for the Bears if she can continue working hard and getting better.

One runner to watch for E-town is Roeder. She is only a sophomore and has the potential to be one of the better runners in the section, if she can avoid injury.

“She could be scary good if she stays healthy,” Spittal said.

Heckman is the team’s leader and the only senior the Bears have. She is another good runner, but brings the senior intangibles that teams need to succeed.

“She has good leadership skills and has been working hard to bring the girls together,” said Spittal.

Key Losses: Caity Fisher, graduation.

Fisher was an L-L all-star last year and one of E-town’s best runner during her tenure.

“We will miss her work ethic and leadership,” said Spittal.

If those two qualities rubbed off on her teammates last year, the Bears will be in great shape.

Key Newcomers: Liz Schlicker, junior; Angela Vertucci, sophomore; Julia Spittal, freshman.

The Bears will add to their depth in the top spots with these three promising runners.

Schlicker is running cross country for the first time, and Spittal said she has been a pleasant surprise. Look for her to work her way to the top and be a consistent runner for the Bears.

Vertucci and Spittal, while they are underclassmen, have the potential to run extremely fast times.

Spittal said Vertucci worked very hard during the summer and that it has shown so far in the preseason. She is used to running two miles, but Spittal said the move to 5K should be no problem for her.

Julia Spittal finished second in the Lancaster-Lebanon League at the junior high level last year. She could have an immediate impact at the varsity level as a freshman.

Strengths: Potential, depth.

The Bears are loaded with runners who could all win a meet on any given day. E-town’s top seven runners are all talented and form the deepest E-town girls team in recent memory. If the Bears find themselves in a close meet, their depth could put them over the top on plenty of occasions.

Weakness: Intersquad competition.

Depth is sometimes a good problem to have for most coaches. The Bears’ top seven runners are all very good and will push each other to the max in practice – which will make them stronger in meets.

However, if one runner is having an off-day and falls behind, they could lose confidence, something that Spittal will keep an eye on.

“The strength of having six or seven girls being very good can be upsetting to someone in they have a bad day in practice or in the race,” he said.

It’s a problem that most coaches would like to have. But that’s where the leadership of Heckman and the upperclassmen will come into play. They must keep spirits up throughout the entire team.

Outlook: It’s amazing how far the E-town program has come in just two short years. In 2005, the Bears didn’t have enough runners on the roster to compete as a team and finished 0-21 since they had to forfeit every meet in the team scores. But interest in cross country began to grow in 2006, as E-town finished a solid 10-11. Last year, the team blossomed, going 12-9 and setting the tone for a bright future for the program.

Now the Bears are looking to take the next step toward contention for a team title. E-town has a solid group of juniors and talent at the underclassman level to have a good team for the next couple of years at least.

2008 is a year that the program has been building toward and this could be E-town’s coming out party.

“The girls could be great. Top five in the league or better if nobody gets hurt,” said Spittal. “Leagues, districts and state medals are a real possibility.”

With the level of improvement the program has seen in two years, they could prove Spittal right. Confidence is high for the Bears, and with good reason.