Red Wolves - IU East

Don't talk. Just run.

The Indiana University East women's cross country runners could tell you all about how they believe they are on the verge of a breakthrough season.

But they prefer to leave the talking to others.

They'll just run and let the results speak for themselves.

"My ladies know what they can do, and we will be competitive," says second-year IU East coach Pam Mertz.

IU East was unable to field a complete team for any meets during the 2009 season, but the Red Wolves were represented at the NAIA National Championships. Sophomore Nicole House qualified for the national meet on the strength of a second-place finish at the KIAC Championships.

The Red Wolves have a full team and then some ready for the 2010 season, and Mertz intends to take more than one runner to the national meet.

"The goal is to win the KIAC and take the full team to nationals," Mertz said. "If we don't win it as a team, I hope to take at least three individuals to the national meet."

The roster

IU East had three runners, total, during the 2009 season.

The Red Wolves now have three runners contending for the No. 1 spot alone, with plenty of depth to back them up.

IU East junior Kelsey West (Cambridge City, Ind./Lincoln High School) came within a few seconds of earning a trip to the national meet in 2008 and was a solid No. 2 for the Red Wolves in 2009.

IU East freshmen Carlie Rider (Eaton, Ohio/Eaton High School) and Jasmine Frasher (Connersville, Ind./Connersville High School) ran 5K high school times faster than IU East's women's cross country school record of 21:30.

Mertz expects all three to run faster than IU East's current school record during the 2010 season

"They all could be our No. 1 runner," Mertz said. "It will just come down to who wants it more."

IU East freshman Jordyn Holland (Richmond, Ind./Union County High School) ran fast times during her high school career. She is working their way back into top form after taking a break from running, but should be a fixture in the Red Wolves' top seven - and maybe even higher.

Redshirt junior Vanessa Legg (Lynn, Ind./Randolph Southern High School) enters the 2010 season in tip-top shape after winning the high jump and scoring in the 100 and 200 at the KIAC track and field meet this past spring.

Red Wolves newcomers like redshirt freshman Shawna Smith (Lynn, Ind./Purdue University), freshman Danielle Acton (Lynn, Ind./Randolph Southern High School), freshman Shayna Gray (New Castle, Ind./New Castle Chrysler High School) and freshman Tiara Smith (Richmond, Ind./Richmond High School) have impressed with their hard work in practices and provide the depth a successful cross country team needs.

Mertz won't be surprised if some of these newcomers jump into the Red Wolves' top five at some competitions.

"We have the good team bond that you want to have," Mertz said. "And we've got a good lead pack. We're just trying to pull a few more runners into the lead pack."

The schedule

The Red Wolves' six regular season meets serve as a buildup to the KIAC meet at Asbury University on Nov. 6.

"We're running small meets and large meets. We're running against NCAA Division I schools. We're running on our conference course. All of this is to get us ready for the conference and hopefully national meets," Mertz said.

Mertz looks for a fast start to the year at the season-opening A-J Special on Sept. 2 at Asbury. The meet could serve as a big confidence boost as well as a sneak peek at the layout for the KIAC meet.

The Red Wolves will find out how they stack up against the state's best at the Indiana Intercollegiates on Sept. 17 at Purdue University.

IU East will travel across town to the Earlham College Invitational on Oct. 2. Most of IU East's runners earned their best placings of 2009 at Earlham.

Mertz will unleash the Wolves at Wilmington College on Oct. 15. Look for multiple IU East runners to establish personal bests on the flat, fast layout.

The run-up to the KIAC meet also includes the Shawnee State Invitational on Oct. 8 and the Late Knight's Run on Oct. 30 at Kentucky Christian University.

The goals

Reigning KIAC champion St. Louis College of Pharmacy put five runners under 23:30 at the 2009 KIAC meet.

Mertz isn't leaving anything to chance. She wants five runners under 23:00 by the end of the 2010 season.

"We've already had five run high school 5K times under 23:30, and we haven't had our first race," Mertz said.

Mertz jokes she already is reserving rooms in Vancouver, Wash., for the third weekend of November.

That would be the site and time for the NAIA National Championships.

"The (KIAC preseason) polls say we are fifth, but I know we won't be lower than second," Mertz said. "I don't care about polls because when the gun goes off, they don't mean anything. We have a much better team than last year, and everyone will just have to wait until Sept. 2 to see what we have.

"I really expect us to win the KIAC - if I can get them all to run well on the same day - because not many people know what we have."

But that, of course, is just talk.

Now it's time to run.

Click here to view the 2010 IU East women's cross country roster

Click here to view the 2010 IU East women's cross country schedule