Allen County Community College’s cross country teams have waned the past couple of years. Numbers have dwindled and not a lot of interest in the sport has sparked for the Red Devils.
“This year we’re just trying to get our numbers and get people excited about coming and running cross country again,” said Christa Baird, ACCC assistant track and cross country coach.
“The team this year had a lot of hard working kids and they will all be assets to the program.”
Allen County has nine runners — two women and seven men — on the team in 2010. There is only one sophomore and he is new to the ACCC program.
Travis Kyte is a sophomore from Carthage, Mo., who ran at Fort Scott Community College last year.
Solomon Abera leads the freshmen as he ranked No. 9 in Class 6A running for Olathe North High School last year. Another freshman to watch for is Patrick Johnson, a three-time Southeast Kansas League runner from Pittsburg. He qualified for state in cross country and track.
Patrick Pinault ran for Baldwin High’s cross country team. Seth Browning of Iola, who signed to run track for Coffeyville Community College but decided to stay at home and go to Allen County, was Iola’s top 800-meter runner. He ran on the four-time SEK championship 4×800-meter relay team.
Nate Bartlett from Humboldt was a sprinter in high school but “has found a love for long distance running,” Baird said. Tyler Hutchens is from Easton and only ran one year but “has untapped potential.”
Amanda Sharp, Pomona, and Lauren Trout, Chanute, are on the women’s team for ACCC. Sharp is a four-time all-league cross country runner. Trout enjoys running but never has run competitively.
“It may take some of the kids a while to ajust to college running but when they do I believe they will do great,” Baird said.
ACCC is at Cowley County tonight to open the season.
Red Devils cross country program in rebuilding mode
