Sept. 7, 2001

USF Cross Country gets out the gate of the 2001 season when they travel to Sacramento to compete in the Sacramento State Invitational. Both the men's and women's squads boast a talented mix of returners along with exciting, fast newcomers. Be sure and check back with usfdons.com for a recap and results.

Below is a preview of the 2001 USF Cross Country season.

USF cross country is uniting this season with the purpose of forming a force in the West Coast Conference. Unlike years past, the team is now training as a single unit rather than as separate teams. Head coach John Drocco is looking forward to a season of bonding and fun that will produce strong runners and a sense of togetherness for the team.

Drocco is uniting the team this year in an effort to establish a team that works together, travels together and supports each runner together. "This year is the first time in 13 years that the men and women are going to work out together. I am excited about that. It's inherent in athletes to learn off of other people. This makes the program more about bonding and fun. These are non-coachable things."

Joining Drocco is assistant coach Pat Bendzick. Drocco expects for Bendzick to take on both teams and to train the runners together, as he has been trained. "Pat has run with programs at Long Beach State and San Jose State where they ran together." Bendzick will also be taking up many of the coaching responsibilities for the team. "I just want to make sure he's not burning himself out. So, I need to stay more on top. More hands on without interfering," states Drocco. "My job is consistency in the program, recruiting and taking care of team problems."

Drocco is looking forward to an aggressive season. "We're going to be competitive and that tells you how deep we are even with the loss of some top runners." Drocco is looking for his returning runners to establish the rhythm of the season.

After being injured for the past two seasons, senior Laura Banner-Baird returns to the hilltop to help lead the Dons in the WCC race after a redshirt season. A team co-captain during her sophomore campaign, Danner-Baird will once again take the helm as a captain. "She's tough. She's got the coaching regimentation in her and she gives me lost of good ideas," says Drocco. "She's into workouts and I appreciate that. She's what any coach looks for. She's a doer by doing."

Also returning this season is junior Jen Kinder. Drocco will also look to Kinder as a quiet leader, "she's a hard worker. She's a quiet one by doing. She loves running and she works hard at it."

Marcie Cole is also expected to compete well this season. A nagging injury has hindered Cole but she is expected to work through it and finish well. Drocco is looking for Cole to "come out of her 20s mode and into the 19s more often."

Newcomer Theresa Radeani is a recruit that Drocco hopes will compete well this season. Radeani finished third in her senior high school campaign of all high schools from Santa Cruz to San Francisco.

On the men's side of the team, Isaac Medrano is returning for his senior campaign on the hilltop. Isaac has shown determined leadership on the squad and will be this season's team captain. "He's a hard worker," says Drocco of Medrano. "He's established himself."

Also returning for the men is Ritchie Jong. Jong enters his final season with the Dons as one of the top men's runners. Joining Jong is sophomore Rudy Castanon. Castanon is expected to be a consistent contributor to the team. "He's a diamond in the rough," says Drocco.