Tiger runners show their stuff at Alumni Run
By CONOR NICHOLL
Fort Hays State University junior cross country runner Jared Shillington ran 80 to 90 miles a week during the summer. Junior Tanner Christensen has tried to be less aggressive in early season workouts so he can peak in November at the conference and regional meets instead of the regular season. Senior Hali Mobley said she "prepared a lot better this summer" for 2010. The changes have produced strong preseason results for the trio, including top-two finishes at the annual Alumni Run on Saturday morning at the FHSU Course.
Shillington won his second race of the preseason after he covered the 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 51 seconds. Christensen finished second, 8 seconds behind. In August, Shillington won the Open Range Festival time trial with a time of 44:36, one of two FHSU runners that have ever broken 45 minutes on the 8.4-mile course. The pair lead a veteran Tiger team that improved through 2009-10, had several solid performances Saturday and enters the year ranked No. 25 in NCAA Division II.
"I am never surprised now to see Jared excel at distances, whether it is a mile or 10 kilometers," Tiger coach Jason McCullough said.
"He is going to solid regardless just because he is putting in the work. They are considerably stronger (than 2009), I think Jared especially. Tanner has taken a little bit different approach this year in that he is trying to train a little smarter. ... He got a little stale towards the end of (last) season."
On the women's side, Mobley, a returning all-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honorable mention selection, won Saturday's title on the 2-mile course in 11:47. It's a faster time than she ran last fall -- and a possible precursor to a stronger 2010.
"I didn't really know what to expect transferring here last year, so coming in and being all-conference honorable mention was a big deal to me because it was completely unexpected," Mobley, a transfer from Wichita State University, said. "Definitely gives me confidence and drive this year to be in that top-10, to be even better this year."
She, senior Amie Algrim, a 2008 all-MIAA pick, and sophomore Gentry Linscott lead a squad that Mobley labeled underrated. Algrim struggled through fall camp and often ranked seventh or eighth on the team. However, on Saturday, she was second among Tiger runners (third overall). Linscott finished fourth (third FHSU runner) on Saturday.
"I don't think anybody knows what we can do yet," Mobley said of her squad that was picked fifth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll. "I don't even think we know what we can do yet. That's one of my biggest goals is to definitely get the younger girls and the newcomers to realize what kind of level they really can compete at, what level we can compete at as a team. It's going to be exciting."
For the men, sophomore Alex Hendee (16:09) and senior Cameron Reith (16:19) finished third and fourth and are expected to make up the lead pack with Shillington and Christensen. Sophomore Danny Simon, a Hays High School graduate, was fifth in 16:37, while freshman Kyle Calvin, a Ness City native, finished sixth in 16;52. Calvin won first place among Tiger first-year runners. Both could factor in on the back half of the Tigers' varsity.
"Danny Simon, he reminds me a lot of myself because he just goes out and trains and trains and he put in a lot of miles this summer and he wasn't the best high school runner at Hays, but he has really improved a lot by just putting in the work," McCullough said.