Health & Fitness
2012 Alverno College Cross Country Season Preview
With a young team of mostly newcomers, the Alverno College cross country team is building for the future with an achievable goal for this 2012 season.
With a young team of mostly newcomers, the Alverno College cross country team is building for the future with an achievable goal for this 2012 season.
"We are working hard to put the training pieces in place to build upon for the future," second-year head coach Matt Thull said. "The team is going to gain valuable training and race experience, with a goal of a top-10 team finish at the 2012 Northern Athletics Conference Championships in late October."
Just three runners -- all seniors -- return from last year's team that placed 11th at the conference championships. Hannah Galstad (Holmen, Wis.) competed in just two events last season, while Abigail Kohal ran in just the final three. Kohal is also a member of the Alverno tennis team, and won't be available to run until after the tennis season is complete.
Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Katie Renteria (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower), the team's Most Valuable Runner in 2009 and 2010, ran in all but one meet last year. She earned All-NAC Second Team honors her rookie season in 2009.
Newcomers to the team include Jeanette Alonso (Milwaukee/Alliance), Alyssa Blom (River Falls, Wis.), Abby Kennedy (Wind Lake, Wis./Muskego), Ashley Shackelford (Milwaukee/School of the Arts) and Taylor Volbrecht (Kenosha, Wis./Westosha Central).
Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"Whenever you have a young hungry team, those teams are exciting to watch gain confidence as the season moves on. It is just a positive team environment. With younger teams there are not the questions of 'that can't be done' the attitude is, 'what do I have to do to get it done.'"
The Inferno has six regular season events, two 5Ks and four 6Ks, to prepare for the NAC Championships at the end of October.
"As a coaching staff, we see the 2012 team continually improving with each race, and the best racing to be done in mid-to-late October. The mindset of the team is to work hard in August and September, with being patient, and that the fastest races are not going to come in the first month of the season."
