Cross Country Preview - Cameron

By Don Garrett

Cross Country 2012 Preview: Cameron

Always tough to preview Cameron and this year is tougher than usual. Cameron only fields a men’s team and the team is usually very dependent on international runners. Their coach for the past few years, Matt Aguero, left Cameron to be the track/XC coach at St. Gregory’s, also in Oklahoma. Former Cameron runner, Casey Kreger, was tapped to take his place. The roster did almost a complete turnover – 8 runners who ran for Cameron last year at conference are no longer on the team, including the LSC Freshman of the Year.  In 2011, the Aggies finished a very disappointing 8^th place, just 2 points behind TAMU-Kingsville and 23 points ahead of Incarnate Word

LOST FROM LAST SEASON:

• ·         Hillary Kirwa – 4^th in the LSC meet in 2011 and Freshman of the Year, Kirwa has transferred to Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt Conference) to run both XC and track
• ·         Alfonso Lozoya – 26^th in the LSC XC meet – kid with eligibility left, not sure if he might be running at a school closer to his Edinburg home
• ·         Brian Mulwo – 38^th in the LSC meet after a transfer from American International in Massachusetts
• ·         Eli Hernandez – 42^nd last year, here is another kid who has eligibility left and might be running closer to El Paso, where he ran as a prep at Jefferson HS
• ·         Julius Korir – 54^th in 2011, Korir was one of the top runners in the LSC in 2009, finishing 3^rd in the LSC meet and 23^rd at the national meet, garnering All-American honors. He was injured in 2010 and was not able to come back to even a shadow of his 2009 form during the 2011 season.
• ·         Krzystof Szczepinski – 62^nd in 2011, his not returning in 2011 is a favor to meet announcers across the region
• ·         Marcus Trevino – 69^th in 2011
• ·         Antonio Moreno – 74^th in 2011

RETURNEES (with their 2011 place included):

• ·         Moses Kipkosgei  (55^th) – Sr  – very disappointing season in his first year at Cameron
• ·         Tyler Jacobs (60^th) – So

NEWCOMERS – still has a decidedly international feel, with more emphasis on Canadian runners. However, they did recruit some U.S. kids with some potential as well.  

• Cole Atchison – freshman from Flower Mound HS – he placed 49^th in the Region I-5A XC meet in 2011 and also competed in the 800 and 3200 in the District 8-5A meet, but did not place in the top 8 and only times/places are recorded in that district for the top 8 places
• ·         Cody Campbell – freshman from Gunter – huge addition for the Aggies, Campbell won the 2A 3200 on the track last spring in Austin and was also a solid 23^rd at the state 2A XC meet in 2011
• ·         Corban Marcantel – freshman from Port Aransas – 10^th in the 1A XC meet in 2011, he was 5^th in the Region IV-1A 3200 last spring, missing a trip to the state meet by a few seconds
• ·         Janis Pastars – listed as soph from Latvia, I can’t find anything on him – not unusual for a international
• ·         Thomas Toth – junior from Ontario, who ran last spring for Cameron, finishing 24^th in the Kansas Relays 10K on the track
• ·         Grant Wignall – freshman from Canada – in 2011, he ran in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools championship, finished 2^nd in the 3,000 and 5^th in the 1500