Through the first six seasons of his tenure as head cross country coach, Eugene Miranda has worked diligently to build a competitive program. In 2013, he truly enjoyed the fruits of his labor as the Blue Angel harriers raced to their best season in school history.
As a team, Mount Mary put forth impressive showings throughout the season as it compiled a team score at every major event in which it participated. With its full roster in place, the Blue Angels surged to a finish in the top half of the field at the Warrior Invitational in nearby Greenfield Park in early October. MMU followed that feat up with an eighth place finish at the 16-team Wisconsin Private College Championships and culminated the season with a 35th place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional race—all three of which were the best placements in school history.
Leading the charge last season was senior Emily Barker (Oconomowoc, Wis.), who broke her own school record in both 5-kilometer and 6-kilometer races. Also graduating last season were seniors Laura Bavlnka (Wauwatosa, Wis.) and Vanessa Schellinger (West Bend, Wis.) who not only provided very solid support in the team standings, but also showed great leadership throughout last summer and as the long season drew out.
Despite the graduation of a storied senior class, Miranda has high expectations for his returning group of student-athletes—the entirety of which are underclassmen.
"This year's returning runners are sophomore Natalie Guyette (Shiocton, Wis.), sophomore Hayley Hove (Golden Valley, Minn.), junior Danielle Sherrer (Milwaukee, Wis.), sophomore Grace Rock (Kouts, Ind.), and sophomore Denise Hernandez (Milwaukee, Wis.)," Miranda said. "It is interesting to note that we do not have any seniors on the team—that means we had one very lean year! On the bright side, Natalie, Hayley, and Danielle have been running all summer long and I expect them to set the tone for the team with their dedication to training and enthusiasm."
While vacancies are clearly available this season, the roster spots will likely be filled by what could be a marquee incoming group of first-year runners.
"This year, we will have the largest turn out of freshmen for the team," Miranda said. "Interestingly, six Grace Scholars will also 'grace' the team. It was a pleasure to talk to all six of these ladies. They sounded confident and were very polite - a testament to their good upbringing."
The seemingly ready group of runners will debut their season on Saturday, August 30, at the Tom Barry Invitational in Green Bay. With such strong finishes against local competition last year, the Blue Angels will be well-prepared for the WPCC Meet in mid-October hosted this year by Wisconsin Lutheran College.
"In planning the season, I decided to have a week off between the first two races of the season," Miranda said. "This is to allow the newcomers to adjust to conditioning and racing. After the third meet, we have meets lined up for three consecutive weekends. Hopefully, by then, everyone would be ready to meet the challenge of competing more frequently."
Mount Mary will once again conclude its season at the NCAA Midwest Regional race in mid-November, this year hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wis.
