The 2006 Wabash cross country teams hopes a deeper squad and a committment to its summer workout program will lead to a better finish than the preseason predicitions of the North Coast Athletic Conference coaches. The Little Giants are picked to finish third by the coaches in the annual NCAC preseason rankings.
"We've set our sites on peforming well at the conference meet and at Nationals," senior Dustin Beck (New Carlisle, IN/New Prairie) said. "We've tracked our summer workouts and have really being pushing each other to be better prepared going into this season."
Wabash received 75 total points in the poll. Allegheny, the two-time defending NCAC champs, received all ten first-place votes for 100 points. The Gators return five of their seven runners from last year's winning team, including second place finisher Ryan Place. Denison was picked to finish second (90 points). Ohio Wesleyan (67), Oberlin (57), Kenyon (51), Earlham (42), Wooster (32), Wittenberg (20), and Hiram (11) rounded out the preseason predicitions.
Several Wabash runners remained in the area to train together throughout the summer. The Little Giant are hopeful to improve upon last year's third place finish at the conference championship meet.
Dennis Frazee (JR/Griffith, IN/Calumet) (left) was the only Wabash runner to earn All-Conference honors in 2005 with his 18th place finish. The gap for the next four runners was only 11 seconds. Beck took 21st with a time of 27:42. Ben Bly (JR/Indianapolis, IN/North Central) was 22nd (27:43). Sam Compton-Craig (SO/Tipton, IN/Tipton) finished 24th with a time of 27:53.
The Little Giants have added nine freshmen to the 2006 roster. Included in that group are local product Cole Jeffries (Veedersburg, IN/Fountain Central), who finished 26th at the Harrison High School Regional. Newcomer Micah Milliman (Ft. Wayne, IN/Carroll) ran for former Wabash runner and current Carroll cross country coach Zach Raber '98 in high school. Graham Johnson (Rolling Prairie, IN/New Prairie) was a teammate of Beck's in high school and will join him on the Wabash squad as a freshman this fall. Other freshmen include John Henry (Evansville, IN/Reitz Memorial), Sam Prellwitz (Ripon, WI/Ripon), and Zack Westrick (Ft. Wayne, IN/Bishop Luers).
Former Wabash kicker Josh Vaughan (JR/Brookville, IN/Franklin County) will join the cross country team this fall, as well. Vaughan trained for triathlon competitions last year after football, participating in his first half-triathlon this summer. (Click here for a story on Vaughan's day at the Endurathon at Prairie Creek Resevoir near Muncie, Indiana.)
The Little Giants begin their season September 2 with the annual Hokum Karem race, starting at the Huntsman Track at 10:30 a.m.
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