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Sept. 9, 1997

1997 Women's Cross Country Outlook

Texas Tech's 1997 men's and women's cross country teams are moving into the second season in the Big 12 Conference. Both teams are returning a great deal of young talent and adding a list of newcomers.

For the first time, the men's and women's team will work as one unit. The squads have spent the past few years travelling to meets separately and operating under separate coaches. This year the teams join forces to travel and compete for Texas Tech.

Faced with the task of uniting the team is head coach Greg Sholars. Sholars recently took charge of Texas Tech's running program as a whole after the departure of assistant Layne Anderson. The onset of the fall season also saw the absence of former women's coach Kirk Elias, and former women's track coach, Liz Parke, take on the title of the athletic department's director of events.

Sholars has previously spent two years with the Red Raiders, coaching the men's track and field team. This year, he takes on the title of head men's and women's cross country coach and head men's and women's track and field coach.

Sholars came to Tech in 1995 as the head men's track and field coach. Last year, he was responsible for leading the Red Raiders to eight All-America performances at the 1997 NCAA Track and Field National Championships.

Assisting the program this year is Trece Hayslett. Initially hired as a track and field assistant, Hayslett will be taking on coaching duties with the cross country team as well. A 1993 graduate of Memphis State, Hayslett came to Texas Tech in August.

The Texas Tech coaching staff is also looking to fill some of the voids left by the recent departures.

Heading into 1997, the ratio of upperclassmen to underclassmen is bottom-heavy. 14 of the 19 women listed at the start of the season are either freshmen or sophomores. On the men's side, 13 out of 18 are in their first two years at Tech, with only one senior filling up the ranks. With several freshmen and junior college transfers joining the squad, quick development is key. The coaching staff is focusing on boosting the team up from its 9th and 12th place finishes at last year's Big 12 Championships.

"We're excited about getting an opportunity to look at how our team stacks up this year," said Sholars. "It's exciting to have the men's and women's teams together. If there's one thing we've got, it's Red Raider spirit."

Running in the number one spot for the Red Raiders this year on the women's side is sophomore Leigh Daniel (Lubbock, Texas). As a freshman, Daniel was Texas Tech's only qualifier for the NCAA National Championships in Tucson, Arizona. Daniel finished 50th in a field of 184 with a time of 18 minutes 36 seconds. Daniel continues to sit on top of the Red Raider squad as she moves into her second season and focuses on returning to the national ranks.

Newcomers and veterans alike will add depth to this year's squad. Sophomores Kristen Koppes (Redding, Calif.) and Dawn Charlier (Green Bay, Wis.) gained experience as freshmen. Koppes and Charlier, along with Daniel, were the top finishers for Texas Tech throughout last season.

Koppes was the Red Raider's top finisher at last year's Big 12 Championships, finishing 16th. Charlier set the school record last year in the indoor 1,000 meters with a time of 2:53.33 and finished fifth at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. In addition, both runners were members of the distance medley relay team that broke the school record at the Big 12 Conference Indoor Track Championships with a time of 12:05.96.

Evette Turner (Trelawny, Jamaica), a transfer from Barton County Community College, will also lead the way. Turner was the runner-up in last year's Junior College Track and Field National Championships in the 1,500 meters.

Providing senior leadership for the team is Lori Knowles (Ft. Worth, Texas). Knowles has been a consistent runner for the Red Raiders and will be one of the team's top competitors. Also returning to the squad is sophomore Tara Hangge (Richland, Wash.), who will provide depth as she moves through her second year.