Despite finishing in the bottom half of the Southeastern Conference, the LSU men’s and women’s cross country teams said they are excited as they head toward a new season. The Lady Tigers were No. 10 in the SEC Championship last year. Despite finishing near the bottom of the conference, senior Kate Accardo said the team is looking forward to building on last season’s performance. “Last year was one of the strongest girl’s teams we’ve had in a long time, and everybody has put in over the summer to get better,” she said. Accardo was one of the Lady Tiger runners who was going to be heavily relied upon this season, but she opted to redshirt so she can focus on academics this semester. Returning for the Lady Tigers are juniors Christy Zirkle and Rachael Graham. Graham’s best meet last season was a No. 64 finish at the SEC Championship, ranking third on the Lady Tiger’s team. Other runners expected to contribute are seniors Lynley Roche’ and Sarah Colosimo. Accardo said the team’s goal for the season is to improve their performance in the SEC Championships. The Lady Tigers did not perform well in the conference meet last season, but did finish the season well, placing No. 10 in the NCAA South Central Regional Championship. Accardo said she is excited to see the progress the team has made this summer. “I think this will be the best year yet for us,” she said. The men’s team begins their season after a No. 7 finish in the SEC last season. Leading the team will be senior Drew Haro. Haro finished last season at No. 54 in the SEC Championships and No. 21 in the NCAA South Central Regional Championships. Senior Jace Gohres said Haro is the leader on an equal team. “I’d like to think of our team as somewhat anonymous,” he said. “But Drew Haro definitely takes up a leadership role.” When asked whether he was the leader of the team, Haro said he embraces the role but that he is not alone. “I try to lead as best I can, but really it’s the guys who have been on this team the past three or four years along with me that really help develop and further our team dynamic,” he said. Also returning for the Tigers is senior James Presley, along with junior Michael Hendry. Hendry said he expects several freshmen to help make the team’s performance better this year. “We’ve got a few good freshmen who are expected to contribute, so we’re going to try to do better this year,” he said. Haro said his performance this season will be important to shaping some of the younger runners. “It is probably my last cross country season, so I want to do what I can to leave my mark on this team for the guys coming up later on,” he said. The Tigers have four regular season meets this season, but Gohres said he is looking forward to the SEC Championships. “The conference [meet] is the one we’re really trying to gear up for,” he said. Many of the Tigers on both the men’s and women’s teams are excited for the SEC Championships, because the Tigers are hosting the meet this season. Haro said he is excited about the SEC Championship, but he would like to see more fans support the team. “This year I am stoked about the SEC Championships because they are going to be here in Baton Rouge,” he said. “So, hopefully, we can get some of the local fans to come cheer us on.”
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