1999 Men's Cross Country Outlook

Lincoln -- Following a tough 1998 season, significant improvement in 1999 is expected for the Husker men. Optimism centers on the return of three letterwinners from the 1998 season and the addition of the best freshman class in Nebraska history.

Junior Marcus Witter, the No. 1 runner for the Huskers in four out of his six meets last year, has shown glimpses of greatness, but inconsistent training and illness have kept him from performing at his peak. Witter's summer training has dramatically improved, which could allow him to become one of the top runners in the conference.

The Huskers also return juniors Aaron Carrizales and Todd Tripple. Both men were among the top-five runners last fall. Despite suffering from injuries that kept both student-athletes out of action during the 1999 track season, both have had good summer training. Carrizales, voted the team captain by his teammates, will be looked to for leadership. Tripple, who received the team's most improved runner award last year, will be counted on to provide depth to a young team. Sophomore Jared Carlson, who transferred from Brigham Young University late in the summer, should help bolster a strong returning class. Redshirt freshman Phillip Davis is also expected to improve significantly this season after using a year to train at the collegiate level.

Senior Tony Smith is much stronger and more confident than a year ago after he transferred to Nebraska from the College of Southern Idaho. Following fine Big 12 Conference fifth-place finishes in both the indoor mile and outdoor 1,500 meters, Smith has shown he can run with the best runners in the conference. However plans may call for a redshirt season.

Immediate help should come from the best freshman class in Nebraska cross country history. The development and contribution from Jed Barta, James DeBruhl, Ian Gray, Mike Kamm, and Hunter Kosman could be the pieces of the puzzle that determine Nebraska's success at the end of the season.

Barta (Idaho Falls, Idaho) was 17th in the Footlocker National High School Cross Country Championships, and his best marks of 4:12.67, 9:01.71, and 14:58.61 for 1,600, 3,200, and 5,000 meters, respectively, rank him among the best in the country.

DeBruhl (Chino, Calif.), the third-place finisher at the California state meet has a 4:13.14 personal best for 1,600 meters. His :48 split on the 4x400-meter relay team (3:14.96) helped his school to a fourth-place finish in the state meet. Gray (Eugene, Ore.) ran only one year of high school track, and did not compete on his high school cross country team. He did not attend school during the 1998-99 school year, but trained with his father as his coach. Gray has become much stronger and ran personal bests of 15:12.68 and 31:07.00 in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Kamm (Bellevue, Wash.) was the Washington Class 3A 800-meter champion (1:53.52), third at 1,600 meters (4:15.89), and fourth in the Class 3A cross country championship in a state rich in distance talent. Kosman (Scottsbluff, Neb.) was the 1998 Class B cross country runnerup. A successful transition to colIegiate running by the freshman class could make Nebraska a strong force in the conference.

Traditionally one of the top conferences in the country, the Big 12 Conference should boast a number of outstanding teams. Colorado, Oklahoma State and Missouri all appeared in the 1998 NCAA Championships and will have strong teams again this year. Colorado is the defending Big 12 champion and was third in the NCAA Championships.

With such a young team, it is impossible to predict, with any certainty, how good the Huskers will be by the end of the season. It would not surprise anyone if this team developed into conference contenders and have a chance to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships.