OMAHA, Neb. - The UNO cross country team begins the 2012 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 when it co-hosts the UNO/Creighton Classic at the Chili Greens Complex. The 5K women's meet begins at 10 a.m. followed immediately by the 8K men's meet. UNO will race against Creighton, Nebraska, South Dakota, Peru State and Iowa Western. Admission to the meet is free.
A New Season The Mavericks are competing in their 31st season of women's cross country in 2012. This is the second year of their reclassificaiton to Division I. The Mavs will compete in five meets leading up to the Summit League Championship on Oct. 27. Because they are not eligible to participate in NCAA championship competition until completing their four-year reclassification, the Mavericks will finish the season at the St. John's Fall Invite on Nov. 2.
The Coaches Steve Smith is in his seventh season as the head coach of both the cross country and track & field teams. He has led UNO to multiple conference championships in track in addition to several top five finishes in the NCAA Championship. He was a two time indoor coach of the year in the Mavericks' previous conference, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). He is assisted by Marc Bierbaum who is in his third season. In addition to his work with cross country, Bierbaum coaches UNO's distance runners in track & field. He was a three-time national qualifier in cross country and track at Dana College
Everyone's Back The Mavericks return all nine letter winners from last year's team led by senior
Amanda Vorthmann who finished first for the Mavericks in six of their seven events last season. Sophomore Krisitin Rogers was first for the Mavs in her first-ever meet, the UNO/Creighton Classic, and ran second to Vorthmann in five of the other six meets. Sophomore
MiKayla Peck was a consistent member of UNO's top five scorers and had her best team finish with a second at the Rocky Mountain Shootout at Colorado in October. Senior
Nicole Behm and freshmen
Lydia Martin and
Ashley Kildow were often among the other scorers for the Mavericks. The Mavericks got additional depth from senior
Brittany Phillips, junior
Kayla Fenske and sophomore
Kelsey Green.
Bumper Crop The Mavericks added seven newcomers to their roster this season including six freshman and a sophomore. The group includes three runners from Iowa in Kristen Carmichael (Corning/Corning),
Carolyn Newhouse (Marion/Linn-mar) and
Avery Schmidt (Centerville/Centerville). In addition, three of the newcomers hail from Nebraska in freshmen
Karo Garcia (Columbus/Columbus) and Jackie Mezick (Bellevue/Bellevue East); and sophomore Michelle Gatewood (Omaha/Millard North) who was enrolled at UNO but did not compete. Michigan native
Kourtney Osentoski (Temperance/Bedford) rounds out the group of incoming runners.
Next Up for the Mavs The Mavericks will make the short drive down I-80 to Lincoln to take part in the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. Last season, the Mavs finished 13th out of 25 teams over the 6K course.
