Front Runners -- UW Cross Country Preview
by Brian Beaky
Its not supposed to be this way.
First-year coaches are supposed to pay their dues - a few losing seasons, marked by slow, steady improvement - before finally leading their team out of the darkness and onto the national scene.
Joe Torre languished for years in St. Louis before leading the New York Yankees to a World Series title in 1996. Even legendary college basketball coach Dean Smith had to suffer, spending a remarkable 21 years as coach at the University of North Carolina before being sized for his first championship ring.
But for every Joe Torre, theres a Larry Bird, who in his first season at the helm of the Indiana Pacers led them to within one game of the NBA Finals.
For every Dean Smith, theres a Greg Metcalf.
Metcalf, in only his second season as coach of the Washington mens and womens cross country teams, has thrown this natural process into complete turmoil, and in 1998 seems determined to prove that he and his teams should be considered among the NCAA elite.
The mens team returns three of the top five runners from a squad which finished fifth in the always tough District VIII in 1997. Combined with a stellar class of newcomers, Metcalf believes that this could be the year the Huskies will finally end their three-year postseason drought.
"I think that if last years team had had an opportunity to race in the NCAA Championships, we could have made an impact and finished in the top 15," says Metcalf.
Metcalf will look to junior David Bazzi and senior Christian Belz to provide leadership that this young Husky squad will need if it is to fulfill its potential.
"David is going to have a fantastic fall," Metcalf says. "Im not going to say that he cant accomplish anything, because he can. Belz and Bazzi give us a phenomenal one-two punch."
In addition, Metcalf will be looking for key performances from junior Geoff Perry, who could steal the spotlight away from the leaders, and a strong pack of runners hungry to prove themselves and help lead the Huskies to the NCAAs.
Perhaps the greatest challenge could come from two newcomers: freshman Jason Fayant, who Metcalf says could have "more impact than any other freshman distance runner on the West Coast," and sophomore transfer Morgan Thompson, a former high school teammate of Fayant.
"Jason and Morgan are used to winning," says Metcalf. "Their high school won nine consecutive state titles, and theyre both state champions. Those are the two guys who could make some noise."
With amazing young talent and reliable veterans, this is a team that has what it takes to achieve the goals that Metcalf has set for them.
"I have the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. If this team does what it is capable of, then I think we have the potential to be toeing the line at the NCAAs."
On the womens side, two of last years leaders are gone from a team which finished 14th in the nation. However, with an influx of top newcomers and the steady improvement of key returnees, Metcalf is ready to reload and guide his team back to the NCAA Championships.
Leading the pack will be senior Deeja Youngquist, a 1998 NCAA qualifier in the 10,000 meters, and the lone senior on this years squad.
"Deeja ran great for us last fall," says Metcalf. "She puts a lot of expectations on herself and Im going to put a lot expectations on her as well."
Pacing Youngquist stride-for-stride will be juniors Anna Aoki, the defending Pac-10 10,000-meter champion, and Margaret Butler, who has five top-10 finishes in her collegiate career and is now fully recovered from an ankle injury which sidelined her this spring.
"For Anna to come away with a Pac-10 championship and qualify for the NCAAs as a red-shirt freshman is phenomenal," says Metcalf. "Margaret also has a tremendous amount of energy, and the team feeds off of that. Shes very intense, and she hates to lose."
Next in line to challenge Metcalfs triumverate of leaders is sophomore Kara Syrdal, who exploded onto the scene in the spring, and sophomore transfer Jennifer Smith. One of the top-ranked cross country runners in the country, Smith left Colorado for Washington on the heels of an All-American track season and a sixth-place NCAA finish in the 3,000 meters.
"Jennifer gives the womens team an intangible," Metcalf says. "Just having her put on the purple W makes us better from day one."
Though the road to the top will not be easy, Metcalf believes that the all-star team he has assembled this year could be the one which will place the Huskies among the nations elite.
"Looking at our top five, you look at the impact Jennifer Smith can make; at Deeja Youngquist and Anna Aoki; at the drastic improvement of Kara Syrdal," says Metcalf, eyes wide with excitement. "Then you add in Margaret Butler, and there are not many teams out there with that same kind of firepower. If everybody stays healthy, this womens team could be scary."
He may not have gone the conventional route, but Metcalf is ready to lead Washingtons cross country teams onto the national scene.
Somewhere, Dean Smith is shaking his head.
