Wichita State men’s cross country team counts on depth to run toward MVC title (+video)

Consider Facebook a volunteer assistant coach for the Wichita State cross country team.

The WSU men see themselves as title contenders in the Missouri Valley Conference, a goal not reached since 1987. Getting to the top of the MVC means athletes must put in their miles in the summer, when NCAA rules keep coach Kirk Hunter from organizing workouts. The athletes ran on their own with junior Brady Johnson monitoring Facebook posts that listed weekly mileage.

“If somebody didn’t post, we’d call it out,” junior Ugis Jocis said.

Fall practices tell Hunter the summer went well and social media peer pressure helped. His top three runners averaged around 110 to 130 miles a week with most of the team averaging 60-85. That represents an increase from past years — in Hunter’s first season (2010) most runners averaged around 30.

“That’s why we weren’t very good,” he said.

WSU opens the season on Saturday in the J.K. Gold Classic at the RAFT Golf Course in Augusta. Kansas State and Oral Roberts will compete with the Shockers in a dual. Newman, Friends and several area junior colleges will also run.

Hunter feels much different about this group, which finished fifth in the MVC last fall and is picked third this season.

Senior Paul Raymond, who finished 15th in the MVC meet with a time of 24 minutes, 47.07 seconds in the 8-kilometer race and Jocis, who finished 26th, are back. Johnson redshirted last season after placing 13th in the MVC meet in 2013. Gage Garcia, from Bishop Carroll, also redshirted last season after transferring from Newman University. Sophomore Kyle Larkin finished 23rd in the MVC meet as a freshman and Hunter is thrilled with his improvement.

“We have an enormous base (of training) under us,” Hunter said. “That should lead to great success as we go through the season, and through the entire year, all the way through outdoor track. It’s the best I’ve ever had here.”

MVC coaches gave WSU one first-place vote, in part because of freshmen Reno Law, from Omaha, and Zack Penrod, from Raytown, Mo. Law won the Nebraska Class A 1,600 meters with a time of 4 minutes, 14 seconds last spring and finished second in the Class A cross country meet last fall, running a 15:50.6 in the 5-kilometer race. Penrod finished second in the Missouri Class 5 1,600 meters with a time of 4:11.79 last spring.

“They’re two of the best athletes I’ve ever signed,” Hunter said.

Jocis, from Latvia, ran three meets this summer, peaking with a personal-record time in the 1,500 meters of 3:46 in the under-23 European Championships. He returned from the summer track season in Europe and noticed the competition in Shocker practices. Qualifying as one of the top five runners who score in a meet can’t be taken for granted.

“I’m really impressed with the freshmen,” he said. “It’s a little bit stressful. I need to make the team. I counted, already, up to 10 guys who could possibly make the team. You never want to lose to a freshman.”

The WSU women are also picked third in the MVC, after finishing fourth in 2014.

Junior Sidney Hirsch finished sixth in last season’s MVC meet to earn All-MVC honors with a time of 17:17.62 in the 5-kilometer race. Senior Kayla Deighan finished 26th with a time of 18:03.88. Hunter said freshman Rebekah Topham runs with Hirsch and the leaders in practice. Freshman Deidra Walker, the Class 6A runner-up in cross country last fall at Maize with a time of 15 minutes, is expected to contribute.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Wichita State men’s cross country team counts on depth to run toward MVC title (+video)."