Cross Country Outlook
2007-2008

Considering both the Warrior men's and women's program spent the entire 2006-07 season ranked in the top 25, and that they both finished 21st at the national championship, it is a safe bet that both teams will once again be competing for a trip to nationals. However, the NAIA preseason ratings and strong Warrior rosters suggest that "a trip to nationals" might be an understatement.

Women's Outlook

Usually when a cross country team loses four seniors, including three who ran at the national meet a year ago, the new season is considered a rebuilding year. 

That thought, however, doesn’t apply to the Warrior women’s cross country program, at least in the eyes of opposing NAIA coaches. 

Despite finishing No. 21 at the national meet last year and losing half of its varsity roster, the Warriors were ranked No. 12 in the NAIA preseason poll by the NAIA raters, composed of coaches throughout the country. 

“I am a little surprised by our rating,” says LCSC coach Mike Collins, who is entering his 11th year as head coach in the program.  “It’s a pretty generous rating if you asked me.  We finished 21^st last year (at nationals), but return a large number of those runners along with some new gals that will definitely play a role, but I did not figure to get much higher than maybe 15 or 16 if we were lucky. 

“I think this says a lot for the history of our program and the confidence that the other raters have in the potential of our team to perform at a level that will take them back to nationals for the seventh consecutive time.” 

The Warriors do have talent. Senior Emily Perkins was the Warriors’ top finisher at the national meet last year,  and is joined by sophomores Kyli Astle, Katja Palm Loevslett, and Lindsay Szybura, all competitors at the national meet last season as freshmen. LCSC’s roster has three seniors, one junior, three sophomores and five freshmen this season.

Men's Outlook

The Lewis-Clark State College men’s cross country team has plenty of reasons to feel good heading into the season. The Warriors return four of their top five finishers from the NAIA national meet last year when the team placed 21st overall. Along with a strong nucleus returning, the Warriors added an outstanding freshman class, which should make them one of the top NAIA teams in the West. 

The NAIA raters agreed and placed the Warriors at No. 9 in the NAIA preseason poll, which is the highest preseason ranking in the history of the program, and the second-highest rating ever. 

“Our men will definitely have a target on their backs this season,” says LCSC coach Mike Collins, who is entering his 11th year at the helm. “Based on the rating, we are the favorite in the region. Those are pretty high compliments by the raters to have put us in that position, and now we will have to back it up. 

“I am always a little skeptical of the preseason ratings because nobody has raced yet and all of the processes that go into it are done on paper.  The season could easily unfold very differently than what the raters would predict with the preseason polls.  We are one of six teams from Region I that received votes and the defending champion is not there and I don’t think you can count them out either.” 

Calin Hantau, a senior from Romania, is the Warriors’ top returner and finished 10th at the national meet. He will be joined by fellow seniors Aaron Galbraith, who also had a strong junior season, and Keith Nebeker, who redshirted last season after suffering an injury. 

The Warriors have one junior, and the remaining eight runners are sophomores and freshmen. Phil Vincent and Eric Tuwei both competed at the national meet last year as freshmen. 

“I know we should be a good team this year and have the talent level on the team to be a top 10 team and our workouts to this point have been the best I have ever seen, but we have to do it in the races,” Collins says.  We are very excited to see what happens when the Warrior singlets get pulled on and the shoes are laced up.”