Sept. 4, 2003
SAN DIEGO - Despite losing its top two runners to graduation, this season's Aztec cross country team has depth on its side.
Six of eight letterwinners return from last year's squad, while a bevy of new and old faces will be sure to crack the SDSU line-up in 2003. Included in the latter group is a two-time NCAA participant and one of the school's top five runners from 2001 and 2002.
Under coaches Rahn Sheffield and Jennifer Nanista, the Aztecs have the right mix of speed, experience and youth to improve in a conference that includes four-time national champion BYU.
"We have a very strong group," Nanista said. "Our depth will be better than it has ever been. Although it would hurt if we had one of our top people get injured, we have a lot of people who did what they needed to do over the summer and came in really fit."
Among the returning letterwinners are four of the team's top-five finishers from last year's season-ending NCAA West Regional Meet. Senior Kylie Edwards is back for her fifth season and junior Tina Fodor continues to improve in both cross country and on the track.
Classmates Christal Cuadra and Jamillah Titus made huge impacts in their first seasons on The Mesa in 2002. Cuadra finished in the No. 2 spot for the Aztecs in four of her seven races, while Titus was the team's top finisher at the NCAA regionals and was the No. 3 finisher in five other meets.
Also returning is junior Allison Brown, who redshirted a year ago to study abroad.
Highlighting the group of six newcomers is freshman Celeste Tyson and senior transfer Marie Nilsson. Tyson, a middle distance specialist on the track, finished in the top 10 at the Texas state cross country meet as a senior.
Nilsson, meanwhile, competed at the last two NCAA meets for Oklahoma State and helped the Cowgirls to the Midwest region team title in 2001.
"Marie Nilsson is going to really be able to step up and take the leadership position, even though she's new here," Nanista said. "She also knows more of what to expect in the big meets and will really be able to help the others by having someone who has been there."
The 2003 Aztec cross country schedule is highlighted by three home meets, including the Mountain West Conference championship, set for Nov. 1, at Morley Field. This is the first time San Diego State has played host to the MWC meet in the league's five-year history.
"The fact that we're hosting conference is going to play really well into our hands, because of the fact that we know the course and more so, because we won't be running at altitude," Nanista said. "Plus, we know it won't be 28 degrees like at last year's meet, so that alone is going to help our performance."