Published: October 22, 2009 11:32 pm      

COLLEGE CROSS COUNTY: Area Bellarmine runners ready for GLVC on Satuday

Knights hosting conference meet for first time since 2001

All season, the Bellarmine men’s and women’s cross country teams have been looking forward to one meet — the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships.

And for good reason.

For the first time since 2001, the Knights are hosting the event. The meet will be Saturday at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, starting with the 6-kilometer women’s race at 10 a.m. and the 8-kilometer men’s race at 10:45 a.m.

“It’s exciting for us because it’s one of the cornerstone meets of our season and we’re hosting it,” Bellarmine head cross country coach and Clarksville resident Jim Vargo said. “We want it to be the pinnacle of our season.”

Several Knights from the Clark-Floyd area will get a chance to compete in front of their family and friends.

New Albany graduate and No. 1 runner Carissa Martin, a sophomore, will lead the Bellarmine women. On Sept. 18, she finished fourth in the 5-kilometer women’s college division race at the National Catholic Cross Country Invitational in South Bend in a time of 18:54.4. Junior teammate Lisa Miville, a Floyd Central graduate, also will compete on Saturday.

Four runners from the Clark-Floyd area will run for the Bellarmine men, and Vargo has been pleased with the quartet’s progress this season. Leading the pack is Silver Creek alumnus and sophomore Alex Jones, who placed 11th in the Gibson Family meet almost two weeks ago in Terre Haute.

Jeffersonville graduates Neal Masterson and Daniel Coats will participate for the Knights along with Floyd Central grad Justin Hodge. Fellow Floyd alumnus Ben Draper will not compete on Saturday because he is redshirting this season to concentrate on his participation in a select NASA project at Bellarmine.

Vargo says the Southern Indiana athletes have been critical to his programs’ accomplishments this year.

“No question due to the Southern Indiana connection, we have been able to contend this season,” Vargo said. “On the women’s side, Carissa Martin is our No. 1 runner and has made great progress this year. I expect her to be in the top 10 (in the GLVC). (Jones) is another one who has made tremendous progress for us. His temperament and training have a good fit at Bellarmine.”

Vargo says both University of Southern Indiana teams, who are both ranked in the top 20 in the nation, are the favorites to win their respective GLVC titles on Saturday. The Knights’ head coach expects each of his teams to finish in the top three.

“It’s going to have to be a team effort,” Vargo said. “If one of our teams is going to pull off a surprise win, it might be the men’s side. They are the healthiest they’ve been all season.”

Other area runners are scheduled to compete in the GLVC on Saturday. In the women’s race, Floyd Central graduate Allison Laird will run for the USI women, and New Albany graduates Stephanie Cave and Kim Condra, both freshmen, will participate for the University of Indianapolis. Henryville graduate Brandon McGloshen will compete for U of I in the men’s race.



AREA GLVC COMPETITORS

WOMEN

• BELLARMINE: Carissa Martin (New Albany graduate, So.); Lisa Miville (Floyd Central, Jr.)

• INDIANAPOLIS: Stephanie Cave (New Albany, Fr.); Kim Condra (New Albany, Fr.)

• SOUTHERN INDIANA: Allison Laird (Floyd Central, So.)



MEN

• BELLARMINE: Dan Coats (Jeffersonville, So.); Neal Masterson (Jeff, Jr.); Justin Hodge (Floyd Central, Fr.); Alex Jones (Silver Creek, So.)

• INDIANAPOLIS: Brandon McGloshen (Henryville, So.)