2007 Cross Country Season Preview
August 7, 2007

2006 proved to be both a triumphant and frustrating season for Cal State San Marcos Cross Country. 

For the women, senior Bonghabih Shey capped off her Cougar career in grand fashion, turning in her best season and posting some of the Cougars’ all-time best performances. Olympia Olguin also made her return to Cougar blue after a two-year hiatus and developed into the squad’s #2 runner.  But the team lacked consistent depth, and finished outside the top-20 at Nationals.

For the men, the regular season was a tour-de-force performance, spearheaded by superstar runner Juan Mejia.  The junior shattered the school’s 8k record, and finished in the top-5 in all but one race during the season.  As a team, the Cougar men pulled off a surprising second-place finish in ultra-competitive NAIA Region II, and were ranked #3 in the nation when Nationals rolled around.  But the team couldn’t quite put it all together, and finished a disappointing 9^th.

A year later, and Coach Steve Scott and his squad are preparing for another season.  On the women’s side, with Shey and Olguin gone, and a couple of key recruits that fell through, expectations have been toned down a bit.

“Because of the hits we’ve taken in recruiting, it’s going to be a rebuilding season for the women,” says Scott.  “We’re an inexperienced team.  2008, though, should be spectacular.”

Leading the squad will be Morgan Sjogren.  The junior is coming off a solid 2006 in which she was one of the Cougars’ top-5 performers at Nationals, and is established as the team’s #1 runner entering 2007.  But it’s her work ethic that leads Coach Scott to believe that Sjogren could be an All-American this season.

“Morgan has been great in summer training,” Scott says.  “She should do very well.”

Fellow junior Whitney Patton should join Sjogren as one of the squad’s top runners.  Patton had a nice 2006, notching four top-20 finishes and finishing fourth on the team at Nationals.  Talented sophomore Kristen Simek is expected to improve with a year of experience as well.

As for new additions, the X-factor is Joy Leon.  A member of the Cougar softball team, Leon was often used as a pinch runner during the spring.  Now, she’s bringing that speed to cross country, where she could be the team’s #2 runner.  Other incoming freshmen include Jessica Sandoval, who ran 19 minutes at Oceanside High, and Stephanie Cook, a freshman from El Capitan who “could definitely make an impact,” according to Coach Scott.

“For the women’s team, summer training is key,” notes Scott.  “There’s a lot of uncertainty; Morgan is the only sure thing.  If everyone works hard, we could make Nationals.”

On the men’s side, the cupboard is far from bare after last season’s run to Nationals.  Mejia will return for his senior year, and given his tremendous work ethic, could be even better than in 2006.  Fellow senior Sergio Gonzalez, coming off a strong spring in track & field, is back and should be one of the squad’s top runners.  And Mike Crouch, a surprise breakout star in 2006 as just a freshman, should continue to be one of the team’s top runners.

Those three runners make up the core of the men’s team, and it’s one of the best we’ve seen at CSUSM.  “Mike, Sergio, and Juan are all spectacular, they’re all capable of being All-Americans,” says Coach Scott.

The question is, then, what the rest of the squad will bring to the table.  As with the women’s team, a couple of key men’s recruits were lost late in the off-season, creating a potential problem with depth.  In cross-country, it’s crucial to have virtually interchangeable 4, 5, 6, and 7 runners, because all runners have good and bad days, and a team can be sunk if it can’t get five solid performances out of its seven-man roster – a fact painfully experienced by Coach Scott last year at Nationals.

In the mix for those key 4-through-7 spots will be members of last year’s team, as well as new recruits.  Rock-solid Thomas Thys may or may not be back for the upcoming season, and would fill a big hole if he does return.  Junior Anthony Guadagnini has a lot of talent, but is yet to put it all together during the season.  Incoming freshman Alex Guaderrama looks great thus far, and could be “this season’s Mike Crouch,” according to Coach Scott.  Fellow freshman Jaime Carrillo is a ‘dark horse’ candidate who was under-trained in high school.  And 30-year old senior Sean Brosnan will also push for a spot in the team’s top-5 runners.

Overall, the men’s team has a ton of potential to make a big impact on the national scene.  “If everything comes together,” notes Coach Scott, “we’re capable of placing in the top-4 at Nationals.”

Aside from the teams themselves, the University will be hosting its first ever cross country event.  The Cougar Invitational will take place on Saturday, October 20^th, and will feature a circuit that begins and ends in our own Mangrum Track & Soccer Field.  Though both the men’s and women’s teams are facing some uncertainty, one thing is for sure:  2007 is going to be one exciting year for Cougar Cross Country!