Cross-country gears up for 2010

The AASU men's cross-country team will start the 2010 season with a new coach, a new team and a new mission.

Coach Alan Segal has big plans for the team this year. Segal isn't a stranger to collegiate athletics – he coached the AASU women's volleyball team from 1999 to 2007.

"I have an idea how to train these guys," Segal said.

Still, he knows coaching cross-country is going to be a different experience than coaching volleyball.

The team only returned in 2009 after a decade-long hiatus.

They had a tough first season, finishing ninth out of nine teams in the conference. Not surprisingly, they have been picked to finished ninth in the preseason poll of the Peach Belt Conference this year.

A few freshmen have plans to change that though.

"As a team, I hope to surprise several teams in the PBC," freshman David Kozusko said via e-mail. "I hope that we are able to upset some teams in meets with our strong freshman class."

Segal said he wants the team to be competitive in the conference, but mainly wants the runners to be competitive between themselves.

"We want to see progress and times get better," Segal said.

He said he doesn't expect the cross-country team to win a conference title this season, but he'd love to see them grow and become better runners.

With only one returning member from last year's team, the new team consists mostly of freshmen. The team this year has one sophomore and at least seven freshmen.

It will definitely be an adjustment for them since most of them ran last in high school. The distance is longer and the competition will be much fiercer.

"I just want to be able to establish myself," freshman Scott Lawson said.

Since there is only one veteran on the team, there is plenty of room for a freshman or two to step up and fill the leadership role.

With a new coach and a brand new team, AASU should definitely watch for great things to happen this year with men's cross-country.

"It's going to be a different challenge," Segal said.

With the first meet just a few short weeks away, the men are practicing and getting adjusted to the new coach and teammates. The team will start this season on Sept. 18 at the Mercer RunFit Invitational. Last year's team finished eighth in the event, but maybe with a new dedicated coach, and promising freshman class, they will see a change.