HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- OK, girls, welcome back to campus.
Now, go run for an hour.
That's what greeted the Alabama A&M cross-country team Monday morning, not long after the school held its fall-sports media session at the Patton House. And, after the 11:30 run, coach Kim Seals said there might just be "a little fun run" later in the day, the team's first official workout day on campus.
Seals, volleyball coach Nedra Brown and soccer coach Frank Davies were joined by some of their student-athletes at the annual event, a time to introduce the teams and to ooze a little bit of optimism.
Seals' team was seventh in the SWAC Championships last year and loses second-team All-SWAC selection Shaquina Phalo. However, they return key runners like Raven Dove and Keanna McIntyre. The latter was All-SWAC in outdoor track last year in the 800 meters.
"I expect a lot out of these ladies," Seals said. "We've had several conversations in terms of what their role is. Their role is to lead this team to a championship and we're going to do it one step at a time. First, getting in shape, then getting familiar with the road conditions, then going to competitions and leaving it all on the grass."
The Lady Bulldogs open the season at Troy on Aug. 30 and will also face Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, Jacksonville State and Alabama.
Brown, in her seventh year as volleyball coach, was wearing a cap reading "SWAC Champions." It could be one in a large collection. Brown has won two titles and taken her team to a four NCAA tournaments. However, the past two years, Jackson State has beaten A&M in the SWAC title game.
Though the Lady Bulldogs begin the season in a tournament at Purdue Aug. 30-31 that also features Southern California and Western Kentucky, the Jackson State game is already one they've admitted is circled on the calendar.
"(The big game) is always Jackson State for us. I don't care if it's here, I don't care if it's in the park or I don't care if it's in a parking lot," Brown said. "We're ready and I think they feel the same way. That's why it's always a very, very exciting and competitive atmosphere. It's just like you have 15-20 to people that just hate each other and are ready to go out and play to the end."
A&M was 12-20 last year, starting 1-11 in a tough non-conference schedule. It returns first-team All-SWAC selection Ashley Forman.
Davies finds himself with a good-news, bad-news scenario on numbers. Of his 28 players, 12 are newcomers. By the same token, after playing with a 14-person roster much of last season, depth will be improved.
"It's going to be a rough start especially with our schedule," Davies said. "But we've been working really, really hard and I'm proud of how the new players have been working out."
The Lady Bulldogs open at home against South Carolina State on Aug. 23, but the schedule also includes Clemson, South Alabama and Middle Tennesse among out-of-conference games.
Goalkeeper Marissa Oehler, from Deltona, Fla., is the A&M captain.
"I'm already seeing good leadership from her," Davies said. "She's already pushing the team. She's only a sophomore but for her to take on the leadership role as a sophomore it's incredible to see what she's doing. Goalkeepers have a lot of authority on the field, being a goalkeeper and a captain is going to translate into people working hard for her. When you see her making difficult stops to keep you in the game and she's leading your guys, people respond very well to that."
COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
No comments:
Post a Comment