A strong core of sophomore runners leads Allen Community College’s men and women into the 2012 cross country season. The Red Devil men return five runners and the women have three sophomores back.
Both ACC teams have their top athletes back from a year ago.
“Then you throw in our freshmen and we have great potential for a tremendous season this year,” said head coach Vince DeGrado.
DeGrado returned to ACC as head coach a year ago. He brought with him national championship coaching credentials. DeGrado coached the Cowley Community College, Arkansas City, men and women to the 2010 national championships.
He got his start in coaching out of college at ACC in 2005. Now, he is back and after a good run last year DeGrado believes his teams will have a better showing in 2012.
“We had some bumps here and there last year. I was so pumped up coming back here and wanting to build a strong program at Allen. We got our feet under us and had a strong year of recruiting,” DeGrado said.
Topping the returner list is Gabby Ruiz. Ruiz earned NJCAA All-America honorable mention placing 13th at the NJCAA National Cross Country Meet in 2011.
She set an ACC women’s cross country record by taking second in the Region VI Conference championships. Ruiz ran the 5K race in 19 minutes, 33.80 seconds.
Also back for the Red Devil women is Kim Boyle, who placed 19th at the region meet and qualified for the national meet. She finished 128th at the national meet.
Tsianina Whitetree ran unattached last year in cross country. She did earn NJCAA All-America honors as a distance runner for ACC in track this past spring.
“I will put it out there. We will be the best team in the conference if we stay healthy. Gabby is so fit coming back that she’s running up with the guys. She’s just that good. Tsianina is in great shape coming into the season also,” DeGrado said.
DeGrado said it was evident that Boyle had done summer work and is right on track to follow up last year’s good season. Two of the freshmen runners — Debra Kime of Altus, Okla., and Danae McGee of Stroud, Okla., — are talented enough to run with the three sophomores.
“We have a solid five on the women’s side. We need a couple of the other freshmen to step up and get us good six and seven runners in meets,” he said. “We have to stay healthy.”
Sydney Owens of Iola is a freshman who came to the ACC program late. Other freshman girls are Bianca Ramirez of Topeka, Caitlin Boeckman of Wamego, Emily Steimel of Hoyt and Mahalia Soap of Tulsa, Okla.
