Dara Fox lead Tampa with a 43rd overall finish at the NCCA Division II Championships. Andy Meng/Sports Information
Concluding the season with their third consecutive first place finish of both the Sunshine State Conference Championship and South Regional, the women’s cross country team was poised for a great showing at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in late November.
Held in Evansville, Ind., the same location where the Spartans ran for pre-nationals, Coach Jarrett Slaven showed little concern for any weather conditions or course difficulties on UT’s second go-around.
“The weather was beautiful,” Slaven said. Adding that the temperature was in the 60′s once the competition started.
The Spartan ended up with a 10th place finish out of 24 competing teams, an improvement from last season’s 14th place finish. Despite expectations being high early in the year, Slaven says he is still very pleased with this season’s finish.
“It was a very satisfying year. We were hunting for the single digits; we wanted to get 8th or 7th. We went there ranked 12, so getting 10th was better than predicted and we were satisfied with it,” said Slaven. “I think all of our goals were a little bit higher but when you get to nationals, you’re running against the best of the best so we were pretty happy with the outcome.”
Coach Slaven was honored in November for his outstanding and consistent coaching this year, leading the team to place first in five different meets.
Slaven was named the South Region Women’s Coach of the Year, a title he has been issued now for the past three seasons.
Slaven made mention of the national champions, Adams State, who are located out west in Colorado.
“[They] have been dominating cross country since I’ve been at Tampa,” Slaven said.
In fact, for the past seven years now, Adams State has been crowned the women’s national champions. Slaven commended the program for its consistency.
“They have a wonderful reputation, and I’m sure because of that reputation, they draw fantastic high school runners that want to be apart of that program,” Slaven said. “I think a program that keeps that kind of progress is well-coached, well-managed and they draw a lot of good recruits.”
Marking the season’s end, the women’s cross country team loses some valuable seniors.
Of these seniors is Dara Fox, who was UT’s top runner at nationals with a 43rd overall placing. Sara Nelson and Alysha Duffy, who finished in Tampa’s top five, are also graduating.
However, with the loss of seniors, a core group of talent is returning.
Heather Nicolosi and Jess Butler, who also finished in the Spartan’s top five at nationals, will certainly be two of the bright spots returning next year.
Slaven ends this season with a positive outlook on next season.
“My goals right now are to get a couple of good recruits and I really want to go to nationals, and it’d be wonderful to finish in the top 10 again,” Slaven said.
