Men's Cross Country Preview
Friday, September 11, 2009 | Cross Country
The 2009 men's cross country team is looking to use the experience of its 12 returning runners and the talent of its new runners to have a memorable season. Last year, the Gators placed fourth in both the NCAA South Regional and the Southeastern Conference Championships. This year, the Gators are predicted to take fourth place again at the league meet, according to a preseason poll completed by the league's coaches. In the history of the program the men have won the conference title twice, winning back-to-back championships in 1986 and 1987.
Senior Sean Blaney (Kissimmee, Fla.) was consistent in 2008, finishing as the second or third UF runner in all six meets. He earned All-South Region honors for the secod time in his career for placing in 16th in the NCAA Regional meet and finished 15th at the SEC Championships, where he recorded a career-best 8K time. During the 2009 track season, Blaney came in second in the 3,000m indoor event at the Pepsi Florida Relays and finished fourth in the steeplechase at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
Current senior Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.) scored in all four meets that he ran in last season. He came in second for the Gators in the Pre-NCAA Invitational, 44th overall, and then went on to be the third Gator to cross the finish line and finish 32nd overall at the NCAA South Regional.
The 2008 season was a year of personal achievements for junior Anthony Morales (Palm Coast, Fla.). He set a career-best 8K time at SEC Championship, meet where he finished 24th and a personal-best 10K time at the NCAA South Regional, placing 39th overall. Morales finished second at the Walt Disney World Classic, his first top-10 finish of his career.
The highlight of sophomore Josh Izewski's (Doylestown, Penn.) season came at the Mountain Dew Invitational where he came in fourth place during his first-ever collegiate race. That race earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors and during track season, Izewski won the 3,000m race at the Tom Jones Invitational.
Senior Cameron Marantz (Westport, Conn.) comes to the team from Princeton, where he earned his undergraduate degree and helped the Tigers to the 2008 Ivy League cross country title. Also joining the Gators, is freshman Taylor Lord (Douglasville, Ga.), who is expected to perform well for the Gators as he was named the 2008-09 Georgia Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year his senior year and won the individual title for the Georgia state cross country championships when he was a junior.
Freshman Derek Wehunt (Odessa, Fla.) had an outstanding high school career, including being a three-time cross country district champion (2006-08) and was a state qualifier in cross country and track all four years of high school. In 2009, his 4x800 relay team won first place at the FHSAA Class 4A State Championships. In 2009, freshman Tim O'Loughlin (Westerly, R.I.) was a part of the state champion track and field team and finished second in the 1,600m race at the New England Championships. He placed fourth at the New Balance Ocean State Invitational in 2008 and was selected for the all-state team three times.
The Gators start off the season here in Gainesville at the 21st Annual Mountain Dew Invitational on Friday, Sept. 18. UF has won the meet for four consecutive years and last year, nine men finish in the top 10. The team then heads to South Bend, Ind., on Friday, Oct. 2 for the Notre Dame Invitational, where they tied for sixth place last year. Up next is the FSU Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla., where the Gators will make their first appearance since 2002.
It's then back to Indiana for the 2009 Pre-NCAA Championships on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Terre Haute, Ind., where last year the Gators finished 12th with Taylor (44th) and Blaney (50th) finishing in the top 50. Two weeks later, Ole Miss will be hosting the SEC Championships in Oxford, Miss. Last year the men placed fourth and had eight runners running in the top 50.
The Gators will then head to the NCAA South Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 14, a race where the team placed in fourth last year and returning runner Blaney came in 16th overall. The culmination of the 2009 season will come on Monday, Nov. 23 at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. The Gators hope to make their first championship appearance since their three consecutive appearances in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
