Aug. 22, 2006

While it's rare to ever find Todd Harbour without a smile on his face, there is a little extra bounce in the seventh-year head cross country and second-year head track and field coach's step as he looks toward the 2006 season.

Both the men's and women's teams have four seniors returning and a wealth of depth of up-and-coming talent. At first glance, the upperclassmen stand out on each squad, but several underclassmen gained valuable experience last year and have stepped in to make an immediate impact.

Both squads have NCAA Championship expectations, with the women bidding for their fourth straight appearance and the men gunning for their first team appearance since 1994.

WOMEN
The women have lofty goals after finishing 15th at the NCAA Championships, second at the NCAA South Central Regional and third at the Big 12 Championships. Since there were no major losses in the off-season, Harbour believes this team can improve on all of those finishes.

"I'm excited about this season," Harbour said. "We bring everyone back, so if we stay healthy, this group can achieve something special. We've never had more than one senior, now we have a potent four."

Last season, Brittany Brockman captured the NCAA South Central Regional individual title and earned her third straight All-Big 12 honor. An injury during the indoor track season cut her year short, but is beginning to return to form.

Monique Ortega and Brittany McGuire, both All-Region honorees, were in the Bears' top seven all season long and were Baylor's both finished among the team's top five at three three championship meets. Ruth Waller transferred from McNeese State in January and looks to boost the Bears in her final season.

Juniors Lyndsy Bedell and Lauren Hagans, also both All-Region honorees, have been mainstays in the Baylor lineup since arriving on campus. Hagans was the Bears' third finisher in all but one meet last season and earned her first All-Big 12 honor, while Bedell was in the Bears' top five at the beginning of the year before finishing sixth in each of the championship events.

Sophomore Erin Bedell had a breakthrough freshman campaign, scoring as the Bears' top finisher at the NCAA Championships, finishing as the runner-up to Brockman at the regional and earning All-Big 12 honors. The younger Bedell is coming off a grueling season in which she competed at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Japan and returned from the World Junior Track & Field Championships in China for the first day of fall classes.

"We're going to give Erin a little down time," Harbour said. "She's going to need a break after the freshman year she had. I believe through her experiences, she's learned a lot. She has the personality to endure that kind of schedule, so she'll be fine and we're working toward her being back in top form by the end of the year."

Fellow sophomore Jessi Barnes also gained a lot of experience in her first year, including a top-five finish and solidifying herself in the Bears' top seven at the end of the year.

It is difficult for Harbour not to look to the future with an outstanding freshman class joining the fold.

Nichole Jones was so excited to come to Baylor and join the team that she graduated from high school a full year early. Danielle Bradley, Loren Hodges, Renae VanWhye and Katie Shaw are also expected to jump right in and challenge the returnees.

"Everyone is a little nervous right now," Harbour said. "All of the girls have been working hard, because they want to be there for us at the end. We could have two or three freshmen at the NCAA Championships, but none of the returnees are going to give up their spot without a battle."

Jennifer Marquez, Adrian Robison and Charity Williams return after their first year in the program, while the Bears added another sister duo to the group in Lauri Ann and Natalie Neill.

"This is a strong group, but you never take anything for granted," Harbour said. "We have the most seniors and the most depth since I've been here, so we want to challenge for the conference title and build toward the NCAA Championships."

MEN
Early season injuries forced Harbour to make the decision to redshirt two of his top runners, supply the opportunity for a large group of underclassmen to get some competition under their belts and make a healthy run in 2006.

"It was tough knowing we had to redshirt all of those guys to be competitive this year," Harbour said. "We wanted to give them a chance to go out together. They are training really hard and have shown more focus and dedication than any group I've had."

The four seniors - Rob Morrow, Bo Price, Mitch Sanders and Cody Wells - each missed the 2005 season and return with the goal of making this season one of the best in Baylor history.

Last year, second-year runners Jacob Jones and Rey Hinojosa were the veterans of the squad and neither finished outside of the Bears' top three. John Wenhold enjoyed a solid freshman campaign and bounced between the two and four spots.

Jordan Hiller, Mark Smith, Hunter Garner and Andrew Stroman also competed in every event in their first seasons and solidified the team's core heading into 2006. Trey Slack and Kyle Mathison also return for the Bears.

"These young guys had to grow up fast," Harbour said. "They're hungry, because they were disappointed last season. They remember that and it has motivated them this summer. I know they want to get to the NCAA Championships and send the seniors out on a positive note."

A couple of freshman have also been added to the group this year in 6-foot-3 Ben Haby and Brandon White.

Harbour believes the variety of obstacles will only help the squad improve.

"The experience on this team means a lot," Harbour said. "They've been through the trials and tribulations that make you stronger. These seniors want to get the program back on the right track in their fifth year. They've taken us from where we were to where we are right now, so the opportunities for success are going to present themselves."

2006 Baylor Cross Country ScheduleDate      Event                    LocationSept. 1   Bear Relays              Waco, TexasSept. 9   North Texas Invitational Denton, TexasSept. 23  Roy Griak Invitational   St. Paul, Minn.Oct. 14   Chile Pepper Festival    Fayetteville, Ark.Oct. 27   Big 12 Championships     Lawrence, Kan.Nov. 11   NCAA S. Central Regional Waco, TexasNov. 20   NCAA Championships       Terre Haute, Ind.

SPRING WESTFIELD'S NICHOLE JONES COMPLETES HIGH SCHOOL COURSES A FULL YEAR EARLY TO JOIN THE BEARS

Nichole Jones, a freshman from Westfield High School in Spring, Texas, completed her high school courses a full year early and has enrolled at Baylor and will join the cross country team immediately, head track and field and cross country coach Todd Harbour announced Tuesday.

"Nichole is an outstanding young lady who has a maturity that is beyond her years," Harbour said of the 17-year old. "She has outstanding range as a runner and the personality to take her as far as she wants to go. She comes from a family of faith and exemplifies all we try to represent at Baylor University."

Jones worked fiercely over the summer to complete her courses and gain her NCAA eligibility.

"Coming to Baylor was a spontaneous decision but it was definitely a wise one," Jones said. "While I enjoyed my high school career, I was really looking forward to the challenges at the collegiate level and I felt there was no greater time than now to take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful team."

"I wanted to grow athletically and spiritually," she continued. "I have no doubt this is going to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. I'm looking forward to this season and giving God the glory through my running abilities."

In her three years as a high school athlete, she established herself as one of the top female distance runners in Texas history, capturing both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter state championships. She broke the state record in the 3,200 with a time of 10:25.33 despite getting tangled with another runner and falling to the track. Later that night, she fell just one second short of Baylor teammate Erin Bedell's state record in the 1,600.

Jones has two national titles to her credit, claiming the 1,500-meter crown in 2005 and the two-mile crown at the Nike Indoor Championships early this year.

She has an equally impressive cross country resume, taking the state title as a freshman, seventh as a sophomore and runner-up last year. The first time she ran 5,000 meters she won the Foot Locker South Regional Meet with a time of 17:10, the fastest time on that course in 21 years.

The Bears open the season Friday, Sept. 1, when they host the Bear Relays.