2012 Alabama State University Cross Country Schedule
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ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA GUIDE 2012 ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE Day Date Event Location Time Saturday Sept. 1 Strut’s Season Opener Oxford, Ala. 9 a.m. Friday Sept. 7 Auburn Invitational Auburn, Ala. 4:30 p.m. Saturday Sept. 15 Azalea City Classic Mobile, Ala. 7:30 a.m. Saturday Sept. 22 Gulf Coast Stampede Pensacola, Fla. 8 a.m. Friday Oct. 5 Foothills Invitational Jacksonville, Ala. 6 p.m. Saturday Oct. 13 Coach O Classic Troy, Ala. 10 a.m. Monday Oct. 29 SWAC Championship Clinton, Miss. 9 a.m. Saturday Nov. 10 NCAA South Regional Fayetteville, Ark. TBA NCAA National Monday Nov. 19 Louisville, Ky. TBA Championship ALABAMA state UNIVERSITY 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA GUIDE QUICK Facts GENERAL Name of School . Alabama State University City/Zip . Montgomery, Ala . 36104-0271 Enrollment . 5,800 Founded . 1867 Nickname . Hornets School Colors . Old Gold and Black Affiliation . NCAA Division I Conference . Southwestern Athletic Conference President . Dr . Joseph H . Silver Sr . Alma Mater/Year . St . Augustine College/1975 Athletics Director . Stacy Danley Alma Mater/Year . Auburn/1996 Athletics Dept . Phone . 334- 229-4507 Ticket Office Number . 334-229-4577 SPORTS INFORMATION SID . Duane Lewis 334-229-5230 dlewis@alasu .edu Secondary Cross Country Contact . Darrell Orand 334-229-5215 dorand@alasu .edu Fax 334-262-2971 Athletics Website . www .bamastatesports .com SID Address / Overnight Address 915 S . Jackson St ./Acadome E-134 Montgomery, AL 36104-0271 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 2012 Preview 37 SWAC 9 Coaches 39 2011 SWAC Championships 13 Administration 40 ASU Sports Information 18 ASU Traditions 41 ASU 19 Team Information 44 ASU Sports Network/Media 27 2011 Review 45 2012 Fall Sports Schedule 32 Hornets Meet Results 46 NCAA Compliance 34 Lady Hornets Meet Results IBC The City of Montgomery 36 2011 Men’s and Women’s Honors 1 ALABAMA state UNIVERSITY 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA GUIDE 2012 PREVIEW 3 ALABAMA state UNIVERSITY 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA GUIDE WOMEN The women’s team lost five runners, all of whom were All-SWAC performers at some time during their careers. It will be hard to replace those se- niors who all had multiple championship rings by the time they graduated. Even though this team is young, it does not match the youth that comprised the team that just gradu- ated. “The group that just left was part of the youngest team I ever had,” Beene said. “When you have that many people leave at one time that means they all came in at one time and they were on a young team when they came in.” “We were successful with that group and we can be successful with this group. This group is one of the largest young groups I have brought in so it is going to be interesting once the season begins.” When the coaching staff begins their recruiting process, they are also looking to find dual-pur- pose runners, which means they are looking for distance and middle distance runners that can also run cross country. Most of this year’s signees will come into the cross country season with some In what can be considered a rebuilding year for Al- cross country background. abama State, the Hornets coaching staff will bring in six new runners on the men’s side and four on “Most of these ladies have cross country experi- the women’s side. The newcomers will team with ence and that is a good thing,” Beene said. “These the two returning members on the men’s team and runners coming in have accepted the role of cross also two returners on the women’s side. country verbally, but I think the physical part of it will tell me how much they will accept it. It is a The coaching staff, while optimistic, really does tough transition, so we are going to see how physi- not know what the season will bring with the tal- cally and mentally prepared they are because ented, but young teams. once they get here, we will definitely see if they can handle the physical and mental challenge of “I can’t say I feel a certain way about how the sea- doing what we are going to ask them to do. son will turn out,” head coach Ritchie Beene said. “We have to work hard with this group and I know Returning this season for the Lady Hornets are the people we have coming back are really tal- junior Soyong Smith and sophomore Jerrica ented. Once I can get in and put the personnel Mahone. Both returners were members of the together, then I can have certain feelings on where SWAC Triple Crown, which saw the women’s cross I should build from, or what I will need to do with country, indoor track and outdoor track teams win these teams.” SWAC titles. 4 ALABAMA state UNIVERSITY 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA GUIDE “The one thing about these ladies coming back is they are both returning champions,” Beene said. Leading that group is Soyong Smith, who will be the lone upperclassman on this season’s team. The junior is coming off an All-SWAC season which saw her finish fifth at the SWAC Championship and re- ceive First-Team honors following the event. Like most of the other performers on the team, her time of 19:14.20 during the Championship was her best outing of the season. “Soyong is a young lady that always has stepped up when we needed her to step up,” Beene said. “She is like my quiet go-to person. I can come to her and she knows what I expect. I know she will go out and give me everything she has each time out. She is a competitor. You might not see it in her eyes all the time, but deep down in her soul, that girl is a 100 percent competitor and when I need her the most she is going to come through.” Jerrica Mahone had an outstanding freshman sea- son, starting with a strong 22nd place finish at the Trojan Invitational. She got better from that point on and had a solid 21st place finish at the SWAC has so much experience in everything that I can Championship with her time of 20:31.60 being her easily move her to something else. She has good best of the season. cross country times to go along with her good 800 meter and mile times.” “I think Jerrica has made a commitment so far to have a better cross country season this year,” The coaching staff dipped back into the state of Beene said. “She understands the better she runs Georgia to sign Paige Rankin. She is from Mc- in cross country the better she will be in the 400 Donough and ran at Luella High School. She is one this spring and the sky will be the limit for the up- of the top milers, two milers and cross country run- coming year. She has been very receptive to the ners coming out of Georgia. things we have talked about over the summer and “I was fortunate to beat out some big Division I I am excited about that.” schools for Paige,” Beene said. “I don’t want to put The coaching staff hopes the newcomers will help a lot of pressure on her, but she is a young lady that fill the loss of the five championship performers probably has some of the best cross country stats from last season’s team. on paper that I have brought into the program in the past four years. So, the expectations are there Artrailia LeSane hails from Fayetteville, N.C., and for her to do well.” ran at Terry Sanford High School. She comes to the Lady Hornets with plenty of experience both The coaching staff went back to the Northeast to in track and in cross country. sign Santina Williams out of Hartford, Conn. She ran at A.I. Prince Tech where she was primarily a “She has experience across the board,” Beene 400 meters runner, but she has been asked to con- said. “I can say she is the total package and she tribute as a member of the cross country team this fall. 5 ALABAMA state UNIVERSITY 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA GUIDE “Santina has more of a 400 meter background, but The final signee is another McDonough, Ga., na- we are asking her to come in and train and run tive. Shantia Wilson ran at Eagle Landing High cross country this fall because we feel it will make School and has a strong track background. She is her an even better 400 meters runner,” Beene add- the state champion in Georgia in the 800 meters ed. “She is one of those runners we wanted to get and has a strong showing in the 400 meters. in here and get her stronger, knowing she is going to be one of the better 400 runners. It is the same “Shantia has some cross country experience, and thing we did with Jerrica last year.” we are going to use her cross country experience to get her better for our track events. But we still Kimberly Wedderburn transferred to ASU from have high expectations for her in cross country, be- Eastern Michigan University where she ran on the cause she is filling the shoes of runners like Court- indoor track team.