IU Columbus cross-country coach Tim Hoeflinger, left, speaks during the team’s media day as runners Luke Neibert, Bryaun Manuel, Tori Gauck and Erin Jones await questions.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
The IU Columbus cross-country program is entering its fourth season, and for the first time, the Crimson Pride likely will be able to field full men’s and women’s teams for their entire schedule.
IUC has six men and five women this year. The season begins Sept. 13 at the Hanover Invitational.
“We’ve had some injury issues, and we’ve kind of had to pull from other teams in past years,” IUC coach Tim Hoeflinger said. “I’m really excited about not just the quality of athletes that we have, but the quality of people that we have. So I think that will just continue to attract more to be a part of the team.”
Columbus North graduate Erin Jones became the school’s first River States Conference Player of the Week last year. She is primed for a big senior season.
“I think having the track season really helped because last spring, I was building mileage,” Jones said. “I got some extra hard workouts, and it motivated me to get to that next level this summer. I have one more season, so I’m really motivated to reach my goals.”
“She worked really hard this summer,” Hoeflinger added. “She will have some high hopes. She set the bar pretty high for herself and I think has set herself up for a very successful season.”
The Crimson Pride have added a couple of talented freshmen in Phoebe Dowty (Indian Creek) and Tori Gauck (Greensburg). They are joined by track athlete Alex Saavedra (Mishawaka Marian) and former volleyball player Grace Barkes (sophomore, Columbus North).
“We still have a little bit of gap between our 3 and 4, which is going to be hard to bridge,” Hoeflinger said. “But I think we’ll be more competitive than we have been, for sure.”
Jackson Neibert (sophomore, Indian Creek) was the team’s top men’s runner last season. He is being pushed by his freshman brother Luke Neibert.
“I’m excited to compete with my brother,” Luke said. “I’m excited for an 8K. I’ve never raced an 8K.”
“He’s really motivated to take his brother’s school record,” Hoeflinger added. “They’ve both worked really hard this summer, so I think there’s going to be a little bit of a battle there.”
Joey Martinez (senior, Columbus East) and Emiliano Rosales-Lopez (sophomore, Columbus North) return to the squad. Newcomers are Chance Knapp (freshman, Columbus East) and Bryaun Manuel (junior, East St. Louis, Illinois), a transfer from Vincennes University.
“It’s a tough sport,” Hoeflinger said. “Running is hard. If you’re playing basketball, you’re at least chasing after something. If you’re in football, you’re running to someone or away for someone, so you’re motivated. Running is kind of a different animal because you’re just running. It’s just you and the clock. I always say it’s the purest sport. I’ve been to a million track meets and cross-country meets, an I’ve never been mad at an official. In basketball and football, it’s different. It’s kind of hard to motivate people to do something, especially when they are like, ‘OK, this is what I did in high school, this is the level it’s going to be in college,’ and I think there’s just some intimidation factor.”
The season will culminate with the River States Conference meet Nov. 8 at Rio Grande.
“We definitely have a lot of talented runners that have joined into our program, so we’re excited about that,” IUC athletics director Zach McClellan said. “Our goal for this year is to be more competitive in the conference, and the good part is, coach Hoeflinger has been here since the beginning, so there’s a lot of stability in the program.”
