By Michael Freeman, Assistant Sports Editor
Senior Nicodemus Naimadu from Narok, Kenya, is thankful for the opportunity he had to run with the Wildcats for the past three years.
“When I was given that opportunity
to come and run here and study, I really had to appreciate it,” Naimadu said. “Back home, nobody can give you that. After being given that chance here at ACU, I don’t know what I can say. That is really something that can go with you for the rest of your life.”
But this season, Naimadu and the men’s cross country team will have a chance they have never had before-a chance to defend a national crown.
Last year, the men’s cross country team won the NCAA Division II Cross Country national championship. Also last year, the women’s cross country team captured the South Central regional title for the first time since 1982. At the end of the season, head coach Derek Hood was named the NCAA Division II Men’s Coach of the Year.
“Last season was a dream season,” Hood said.
Over the summer, the cross country teams have been training to have another dream season this year. The men ran 60-70 miles per week, while the women ran 45-50 miles per week this summer. The results of the training are evident, even now, Naimadu said.
“I can see that there has been much improvement than the last year I’ve been here,” Naimadu said. “Right now, the way they are running, they are running better
than I’m running. They are really focused.”
On the men’s team, all but one of last year’s five all-American players is returning. And new recruit Amos Sang from Eldoret, Kenya, will fill in that fifth spot.
“We have the ingredients to be another national championship team,” Hood said. “And also the guys that I have that are new to the team and those that were on it last year that weren’t all-American are really looking strong. We’re going to be even stronger than last year, which is saying a lot.”
One of ACU’s strongest players is Nicodemus Naimadu, who has won three consecutive individual championships. Only three other athletes in NCAA history have won three in a row. If Naimadu wins a fourth individual title, he will be the only player in NCAA history to do so.
“That will really be the biggest achievement that I’ve achieved in my college career,” Naimadu said. “In preparation for it, I’ll just have to prepare as if I have never even won any other race before.”
There will be even more pressure on Naimadu this year because of the historical impact, Hood said.
“It’s going to be a special season for Nick,” Hood said. “He’s got a lot of pressure on him, but then again if anyone could handle the pressure, Nicodemus has shown that he can handle it. He’s a very talented athlete.”
This year’s women’s cross country team is also talented and will have the chance to go further than they did last season.
“We’re really excited about the women,” Hood said. “I look at last year’s team compared to what we have this year, and we’ve just got so much more depth than we had last year.”
Usually, the ACU women have four or five consistent runners, but this year the team has twice that many, Hood said. One consistent runner ACU lost to graduation
last year was Ohla Kryv’yak, who will be a graduate assistant this season.
“Having her not out there competing is going to be a challenge,” Hood said. “It’ll be interesting to see who steps up to replace her leadership on the team.”
Still, even without Kryv’yak, the Wildcats have the goal in mind to place in the national top 10.
“I feel really excited about the women’s program,” Hood said. “I think also that they’re going to be much more successful
than in year’s past.”
The Wildcats will begin its season this Saturday at the ACU Cross Country Classic. Teams from Eastern New Mexico, Tarleton State, Midwestern State, Angelo State, Northwood University and the College of the Southwest will all be competing. The women will run a three-mile race starting at 11 a.m., and the men will run a four-mile race beginning at 11:45 a.m.
“We use that meet to knock the rust off of everybody,” Hood said. “We don’t put a whole lot of stock into it. Our objective isn’t to run fast in September; our objective is to run fast in November.” national cross country
