Breakout

Glendora, CA -- In her second year at the helm of the Citrus College Cross Country program, Head Coach Alicia Longyear, has the Owls poised for a breakout campaign. With a full year of recruiting under her belt, and arguably one of the most talented teams in recent memory, expectations are higher than normal around the Citrus runners.

"Last year, I came into the job late and wasn't able to recruit like I wanted to. I got lucky getting the runners we had last year, but this year should be a little different. It was fun to go out and recruit the great local runners we have in this area," Longyear said. "My expectations are pretty high this year. I see the talent that we have, and we've got a good three months of training in us already."

Both the men's and women's teams are brimming with talent. The men's side will feature a depth it hasn't had in nearly two decades, while the women's side may be the most promising since the 2009 squad.

"Our guy's team is really deep this year. At our last time trial nearly a dozen of our guys were within a minute of each other. It's exciting because any number of people can step up each week. There will always be someone there to pick up the slack," Longyear said. "On the women's side we have a lot of potential. We're getting stronger and stronger, and prospects are bright. I expect us to be a lot more competitive as a team for both the men and women this coming year, than last year. We should be competing in conference, and send a number of runners to the CCCAA State Championships."

Over the course of their spring and summer workouts, the program has seen steady improvement from nearly every member of its team. It's been a long an arduous process running numerous miles around the San Gabriel Valley, but that hard work should begin to show once race time finally arrives.

"We've put in a lot of miles this summer. More than most of these athletes have ever done. I think we'll see a lot of breakthroughs for our athletes this year," Longyear said. "They've put in the hard work and the mileage and it's going to pay off in a big way."

Most importantly may be the camaraderie that's developed in the program these past four to five months. In a sport where sometimes the individual achievement can outweigh that of the team, the Owls have shown a knack for pushing and supporting each other no matter what.

"I have seen several examples of the team putting the wellbeing of their teammates and the team ahead of their own successes," Longyear said. "While cross country is a team sport, it is also easy to focus on your own performances and even look at your teammates as competition, but that hasn't been the case this summer. When another athlete has made improvements and moved up spots during our time trials, their teammates have been genuinely excited for each other because they know that this only makes our team that much stronger even when sometimes that means that their teammate just stole the last seat on the bus for the team that travels to meets."

The table is set for the Owls to have success, but it will be a work in progress, as the season will grind on for the next three months.

"Right now everyone is really super focused and motivated. It's great to see that in our team, but it's going to be important for us to try to maintain that for the entirety of the season," Longyear said. "November is a long ways a way and we'll have to try to carry that excitement and focus throughout the year."

Citrus will get its first crack at the schedule this Friday when they participate in the season opening Ventura Invitational at Arroyo Verde Park in Ventura, CA. The women's race is set to begin at 3:30 PM.