Written by Chris O’Dell
The Harding cross-country program has been a dominant force throughout the decade for the Bison and Lady Bison teams. Head Coach Steve Guymon has helped turn the program into the most winning sports program at the university since becoming head coach of both the men’s and women’s teams.
Harding has won the men’s cross-country championship every year it has been a member of the Gulf South Conference, except in 2007. Last season, the Bisons finished with a perfect score of 15 points, and newcomer Daniel Kirwa became the ninth straight Bison runner to win the individual title
Saturday, the Bisons successfully defended the Gulf South Conference Men’s Cross-Country Championship at Veteran’s Park in Hoover, Ala. The win gave the men’s team its ninth overall conference championship.
The Bisons finished the 11-team race with 31 points, beating out West Georgia, who finished second with 68 points. Harding had four runners place in the top six, led by sophomore Daniel Kirwa, who became the first runner since 2003 to repeat as the GSC Individual Medalist with a time of 25:47. Kirwa’s teammate Philip Biwott finished second at 25:55, and Harding duo Manase Busienei and Reese Jackson ranked fifth and sixth respectively with times of 26:32 and 26:33.
Jackson, a sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., said winning the tournament is a testament to the team’s training regimen.
“We know we are consistently the best team in the GSC,” Jackson said. “And the two years that I have experienced on this team have proven it to me. It really reminds us how rewarding hard work and consistency in training are, and how important a winning mindset is.”
Jackson said he believes that mindset starts with the coach.
“I think the key to our success has been good coaching, starting from the beginning of the program all the way to today,” Jackson said. “And having the momentum of previous champions to carry us and help us stay on top.”
The Lady Bison cross-country program has also been the most consistent and dominant women’s program in the conference this decade. The women’s team has won five consecutive GSC championships, winning its fifth last weekend. The win was the Lady Bisons’ seventh since joining the conference in 2000.
Last season, the women’s team scored 22 points and placed five runners in the top 10. In this season’s tournament, the team again scored 22 points, beating out second-place West Florida, who finished with 85 points.
The Lady Bison runners set the pace throughout the tournament and had five runners place in the top 10. Senior Katy Grant jumped from a seventh-place finish in last year’s tournament, to first-place in 2009, earning GSC Individual Medalist honors with a time of 18:40. Harding also had third through fifth-place, with Esther Kosgei, Gladys Kimtai and Rysper Sirma rounding out the top five.
Sophomore Mary Samoei, freshman Naomi Landecker and junior Laura Lovett were also top-10 finishers for Harding.
Despite both cross-country teams dominating their way through the GSC in recent years, the program as a whole doesn’t always get credit for how much success it has. Jackson said it might be due to a lack of understanding about the sport itself.
“I think that for how well most people understand the sport, it makes sense that we aren’t always considered athletic heroes or anything,” he said. “People who know or take time to find out what cross-country is all about will appreciate it, and the better we do, the more people will want to find out.”
It might be hard for either team to improve on their level of success. However, one area both teams are looking to improve is at the national championships. Last year the team came in with high expectations and finished lower than the team wanted to. A drastic change of weather from what Arkansas gives the runners might be one reason for its finish last year. Jackson said the Bison and Lady Bison teams won’t be making any excuses though.
“I don’t know what other teams are doing,” Jackson said. “But I know how good we are, and if our team effort is a hundred percent or more, then I think we will do very well, even if we don’t place as well as we like.”
The Bisons and Lady Bisons will compete in the NCAA South Region Championships Nov. 7 in Tampa, Fla., The NCAA National Championships will be held two weeks later in Evansville, Ind.
