HOME OF BULLDOG CROSS COUNTRY

With a new head coach at the helm, the University of Redlands cross country programs experienced tremendous growth during 2007 as both rosters expanded from years past and earned solid results throughout the season. After highly-competitive performances at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships, first-year Head Coach Aaron Olswanger helped lead his team into the upper echelon of the conference while developing a well-rounded and multi-talented group of harriers.

Although the women’s team achieved the ultimate accomplishment of winning the 2006 SCIAC title, it solidified a potentially dangerous lineup for the future by tying for second place during this year’s campaign. Kicking off the season with the UC Irvine Invitational, a relatively young squad with seven first-time competitors gained valuable experience in preparation for the Bulldogs’ lone home event. At the Redlands Invitational, junior front-runner Avery Kelly (Fort Worth, TX) led the way for the Bulldogs with a seventh-place time of 23:25.50. Up-and-coming sophomore Stephanie Mera (Redlands, CA) closely followed in ninth place at 23:49.90 while freshmen Heather Mayer (Spring Valley, CA) and Katie Ostrinski (Riverside, CA) impressed in their 6K debuts by rounding out Redlands’ top-20 finishers in 14th (24:21.40) and 18th (24:44.00), respectively. As a team, the women took fourth place but revealed their depth and determination for future success. Competing in their final tune-up before SCIAC events, Mayer, Mera, Ostrinski, and sophomore Onesa Bowman-Williams (Pomona, CA) etched their spot in the Redlands history books, posting all-time top-20 times for the 5K during the UC Riverside Invitational.

At the SCIAC Multi-Duals, the women continued to ride their positive momentum, as the team looked to an impressive performance by Mera to lead the Bulldogs to a 6-1 mark. With a time of 24:47.63, she took fifth place among all of the conference runners. Kelly came in at 24:52.64 to finish sixth, marking the first time in her career that she was not the top runner for the Bulldogs. Although this ended arguably the most dominant streak by one who many consider to be the best harrier in program history, it also revealed the team’s greatly improved depth and overall talent. Ostrinski continued to impress as a rookie with her 13th-place showing while Bowman came in 16th. Mayer rounded out the Bulldogs’ top-20 finishers with her 17th-place time of 25:52.13.

Given the various individual success of the women’s team, Redlands looked to many runners to contend as the Bulldogs’ top runner during the SCIAC Championships. This time, Kelly resumed her leading position with a fifth-place run at 23:11.53 while Ostrinski crossed the line with her best performance of the season at 23:41.63 for a stellar 10th-place finish. In addition, Ostrinski broke into the Redlands all-time top-12 list for the 6K with the fifth-fastest run in school history. Joining her in the records book, freshman Pilar Page (Las Vegas, NV) culminated a quiet yet strong season with an 11th-place time of 23:46.95 to rank sixth all-time. Mera came home with a time of 24:16.87 to take 20th. Overall, the Bulldogs secured third place during the big meet and managed to tie rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for the second-straight year, finishing as conference runner-ups in the final standings.

Kelly earned her third-straight All-SCIAC First Team accolade as Ostrinski also landed on the First Team. Thanks to her stellar effort at the conference championship, Page boasted a Second Team nod meet while Mera earned back-to-back All-Conference recognition as a Second Team member.

Following the conference season, the Bulldogs traveled to Oregon to compete in the NCAA Regional meet. Kelly once again led the charge with her time of 23:06.25 to finish 24th among the west’s best runners. Ostrinski posted a time of 23:46.00 for 42nd place while Mera ran the seventh-best time in Redlands history at 23:49.20 for 45th. Paged rounded out her strong rookie campaign with a time of 24:39.70 at the regional.

Despite struggling with injuries last season, the men bounced back in fine fashion during the 2007 campaign. With the return of senior Raul Sevilla (Downey, CA) after a one-year hiatus and the addition of track & field standout sophomore Jake Baechle (Aurora, OH), the Bulldogs boasted the strongest and deepest roster in many years. Consistent results throughout the entire season culminated in a solid tie for third place at the SCIAC Championships.

After starting the season at the UC Irvine Invite, the men put together a great fourth-place team effort at the Redlands Invite, highlighted by senior Chris Smith’s (Fremont, CA) sixth-place finish in 26:53.70. At the UCR tune-up for SCIAC competition, promising freshman Jeremy Kalmus (New Orleans, LA) posted his best time of the season at 26:17.60 to break into the Redlands all-time top-20 list at 17th.

At the SCIAC Multi-Duals, Redlands gathered vital momentum that carried them into the conference championships. Taking fourth place in the meet with a 4-3 record, the team boasted five of its six harriers in the top half of the field. Smith led the way with an impressive third-place run at 26:42.24 while Kalmus and Baechle rounded out the top-20 finishers with times of 27:38.71 and 27:58.64 for 13th and 19th place, respectively.

Heading into the SCIAC Championships, the Bulldogs basically assured themselves a better finish due to a much healthier and talented squad. Led by Smith’s fifth-place run of 27:08.92, Redlands offered an inspiring effort to earn a tie for third place with Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Sevilla chose an excellent moment to put together his season-best performance, claiming15th place with a time of 27:47.42, with Kalmus just behind in 16th at 27:49.72.

Smith went on to receive his third All-SCIAC award and second award as a member of the First Team. Sevilla notched his second nod as a Second Team honoree, illustrating that his comeback was truly a success. Kalmus joined Sevilla on the Second Team, following consistent performances throughout the season, which revealed his endless potential for the remainder of his career.

Following the SCIAC season, the Bulldogs competed as a team at the NCAA Regional for the first time in many years. Smith wrapped up his stellar career with a qualifying time of 25:59.65 at the regional meet to advance onto the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row. Sevilla put in yet another strong effort at the regional with a time of 26.47.05 to take 38th while Kalmus came in at 26:53.35 for 43rd place.

With the continued growth in size and talent, the University of Redlands cross country programs are making great strides towards the SCIAC and regional elite. Even with the loss of four seniors in Sarah Drallos-Kopecky (Mt. Baldy, CA), Smith, Sevilla, and Rey Ramirez (Carlsbad, CA), the Bulldogs have shown a newfound depth in their lineup that bodes well for seasons to come. With a solid group of returnees and passionate leadership from Coach Olswanger, the Bulldogs promise to offer an exciting and successful future in Redlands cross country.