Colleges

Spartans women race for 4th straight title

By DAVID NORRIE
Published October 20, 2005

Senior Allison Macsas leads Tampa's cross country team into Saturday's Sunshine State Conference championships at Winter Springs. The Spartans have won the event three consecutive years, but coach Jarrett Slaven thinks earning a fourth might prove more difficult than in years past.

"It's a different type of team this year," he said. "I'm worried a little more than usual because we have some girls stepping up into the top five spots who need to make strong finishes for us to win as a team."

Losing three of their top-five runners to graduation this season eliminates some of the experience that powered the Spartans' past two championships. Macsas, the 2004 SSC runner of the year, remains the constant. Shaving a minute off her time each year since she was a freshman, Macsas looks to capture her third straight individual title and finish in less than 20 minutes, 35.73 seconds, her 6K time last year.

In her only other 6K race this season, the Lehigh Invitational on Oct.1, she ran 20:57.20. Jael Koech of Florida Southern should push Macsas. Both are expected to go out fast and set the tone from the start.

"Allison and Jael will take it out hard," Slaven said. "What we need is for our two through five runners to stay together as a group and work hard off their pace. We've been getting better and better each week as a team, but this looks like it will be a real nail-biter."

The race will be held on a new course. But Tampa runners are no strangers to obstacles this season, having battled through meningitis, mononucleosis and a car accident. With the team healthy for the first time in weeks, the timing is good.

First team all-SSC runner David Forry (Land O'Lakes) leads the Spartans men in the 8K race. He ran a season-best 26:32.10 at the Lehigh Invitational. Last year he took fifth at the conference championships as a freshman (26:11.58). Slaven expects the men to finish in the top three, with a realistic goal of second behind a dominant Florida Southern.

HOME STRETCH: Soccer coach Adrian Bush might not be high on moral victories, but his young team held Lynn, the No. 1-ranked Division II team, scoreless for 71 minutes before allowing two goals midway through the second half Wednesday at Pepin Stadium. On Saturday, goalie Bob Luckenbaugh posted a career-high 12 saves in a 1-all tie with Nova Southeastern. His save percentage of .800 ranks second in the conference behind St. Leo's Matias Perez. The Spartans end the regular season with a three-game home stretch that begins Friday night against Florida Southern.

[Last modified October 20, 2005, 01:20:19]