Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Cross country finds new leaders after teams beset by injury
10/26/2018 10:41:00 AM | Cross Country, Word on the Herd
Conference USA championships will take place Saturday in Boca Raton
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
The season-long absences of all-conference runners Adriana Cook and Daniel Green were referred to as a "setback" by Marshall coach Caleb Bowen, but one with a silver lining.
Although Cook (2016 all-conference team) and Green (2016 and '17 all-conference team) will not race in Saturday's Conference USA cross country championships as Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park in Boca Raton, Florida, the expectation is the Thundering Herd's men's and women's teams will continue to step up in their place. That, Bowen said, will be a long-term benefit to competing this season without Cook and Green, who are each redshirting with an injury.
"We're making the best of it," Bowen said. "It's helped somebody like Nick Schmidt become more of a leader because he's that sole captain. Everybody looks to Nick when they have questions and need leadership."
Schmidt, like Cook and Green, has an all-conference mention on his collegiate resume. He finished 21st in the 2017 end-of-season event, the last spot that goes to an all-conference member. The top seven runners earn first team recognition and the next seven receive second team honors. Schmidt was in the third group of seven, placing on the C-USA all-conference team with Green.
That means Schmidt can join an exclusive group if he can sneak back into the top 21 for a second consecutive season.
"Anyone who gets two, that's not common," Bowen said.
Since Marshall joined Conference USA, the list of consecutive all-conference runners is short: Travis Epling (2006-07), Matt Schiffbauer (2008-11) and Green.
Schmidt is not alone on the men's side, though. He and Alex Minor took turns leading Marshall in Green's absence.
"Whenever they run together, they go out fast together," Bowen said of Schmidt and Minor. "They set the pace for everyone else."
While Schmidt, a senior from Davison, Michigan, and Minor, a junior from Morgantown, West Virginia, are upperclassmen, the story on the women's side has been different this season. Six seniors graduated from the Herd women's team after the 2017 season, and Cook was going to be leaned upon during her final year.
Instead, a pair of collegiate rookies have been leading the way.
"The freshmen have been stepping up," Bowen said. "It's been a pleasant surprise. We needed it."
Madelyn Garrison (Washington Court House, Ohio) and Alexandra Evans (Chilicothe, Ohio) have been first and second, respectively, in every race this season.
"I'm excited for Maddy and Alex," Bowen said. "Let's see what they can do against the top teams in our conference. They can run with anybody. It's a lot of pressure, especially for freshmen, but they're both from Ohio and the Ohio state meet is a very competitive meet. They've been in a situation before where it's high pressure."
The 5K women's race is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. The 8K men's race follows at 9:15 a.m.
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a six-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
