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The UNM men’s and women’s cross country season started with an unprecedented meet under the night sky on Friday.
The 2012 Lobo Cross Country Invitational welcomed community, high school and collegiate runners from all around the state. Head cross country coach Joe Franklin said that about 5,000 to 6,000 people attended as runners or spectators.
“This is such a neat atmosphere. There are thousands of people here, you are running at night, it’s just awesome,” Franklin said.
The men’s squad had four runners place in the top 20 of the 8 kilometer race. Junior Sean Stam clinched fourth place with a time of 19:14.2. Meanwhile, the women’s team had six runners land in the top 20 of the 5 kilometer race. Senior Josephine Moultrie ended the race in third with a time of 18:26.0.
Initially, some runners worried that racing at night would negatively affect their vision, but UNM staff members set up various highway construction lights to illuminate the track. By the end of the meet, most runners welcomed the change.
“I liked it a lot. It was fun and the course was well-lit. I was worried at first, but everyone did a really good job setting up,” Stam said.
Franklin held out as many as 10 of his top runners, both men and women, from the invitational to prevent injuries and allow more time for the runners to get acclimated to the altitude. Some of the key holdouts included senior Imogen Ainsworth, junior transfer Luke Caldwell and senior Ross Millington.
“For our season, the RPI (Relative Power Index) doesn’t start until Sept. 21, so this is pretty much our preseason,” Franklin said.
The women’s team placed ninth in the 2011 NCAA finals, while the men’s team ended 31st. Stam said the goal for the men this season is to finish a top-15 program.
“Right now, I want to stay healthy and keep training hard. But in the future, I would like our team to be top 15 at nationals,” Stam said.
The chemistry of both squads may make that goal attainable this season.
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“The main difference between this year and last year is that there is a lot more team bonding,” Moultrie said. “Everyone is supportive, which helps a lot.”
Following the successful invitational, Franklin said he would like to see the event become more than just a cross country meet.
“Can you imagine having bands and a DJ here, too? That’s what we want to evolve it into, so that it’s a big festival,” Franklin said.
