Veteran coach Mark Elliott leads the LSU cross country team into the 2007 season opener this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala., without 2006 top performers Drew Haro and Rachael Graham.
The men’s team goes into the season a bit younger than it has in recent years after the departure of every upperclassman to finish a meet except for senior Michael Hendry.
Haro, the most noticeable absence, was the first Tiger to cross the finish line in each race in which he competed this past year as a senior.
“Losing him is tough, but it’s good if we’re losing kids to graduation,” Elliott said.
Despite the loss of four upperclassmen, Elliott and team member Hendry said the 2007 men’s team has the potential to be better than those of recent memory.
“Everybody put in their work this summer, and we should have one of the better teams that we’ve had in the past few years,” said Hendry, a likely leader on the young team as the only returning upperclassman to complete a race this past season.
In addition to Hendry, Brett Borne also returns to the team after impressive performances in his final races of the 2006 season.
Borne, a Covington native, finished second for the Tigers behind Haro in the Southeastern Conference Championships and third behind Haro and Hendry in the NCAA Regionals this past season.
The team also adds Joseph Simuchimba to the mix. The Zambia native ran track for the Tigers in the spring but will be seeing his first cross-country action this fall.
“[Simuchimba] will be there with the Arkansas runners, and Michael Hendry has the ability and talent to be there with them and so does [sophomore Jacob Simmons],” Elliott said.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are the perennial powerhouse of the SEC, currently defending 33 straight conference championships.
On the women’s side, the team has more experience with five key members of the 2006 squad returning.
Similar to Haro, the key loss for the Lady Tigers is Rachael Graham, who graduated this past summer.
Graham finished first for the Tigers in every race in 2006 except one – including finishing first overall in the LSU Tiger Festival.
Megan Broussard finished ahead of Graham in the Auburn invitational and returns this season as a senior.
Senior Lindsay Day also returns to the team after finishing third behind Graham and Broussard in half her races.
In addition, senior Katie Dawson returns to the team boasting an eighth place overall finish at the 2006 LSU Tiger Festival.
Broussard commented on the team aspect of cross-country, in which the team’s score relies upon the top-five individuals.
“You need five people in good form every time you race,” Broussard said.
“You don’t like to compare, but our men’s team this year – at least on paper – is pretty strong. Our women’s team is about the same as we normally have, with more experienced runners, and I’m excited to see where we stack up against the rest of the SEC,” Elliott said.
This past season, LSU finished in the top-ten of every meet except the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., and the NCAA Regional Championships in Waco, Texas.
These marks include top overall team finishes for both the men and women at the 2006 LSU Tiger Festival.
LSU fans will get a chance to see both the men and women in action next Saturday, Sept. 22, as they come home for the 2007 LSU Tiger Cross-Country Festival.
—-Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]