Coaches and athletes are never fond of lofty expectations, excessive publicity or hypothetical historical comparisons before the year begins, but make no mistake, the 2004 cross country season is the opportunity head coach Matt Henry and his University of New Mexico men have been waiting for the past four years. While the Lobos have made significant strides each season since Henry took over the stagnant team in 2000, runners and coaches alike know that 2004 could be a truly special and pivotal year for the rising program.
On paper, New Mexico boasts one of the most talented and experienced teams ever to don the cherry and silver, and most importantly, in Henry’s eyes, the roster is comprised almost entirely of New Mexican runners. Eight letterwinners return for the Lobos, including four of the top five runners from a year ago, and four fifth-year seniors give the squad a tremendous level of experience.
All-American Matt Gonzales (Santa Fe, N.M.), a two-time national cross country meet competitor, leads the talented senior class. A two-time outdoor track All-America honoree in the 10,000 meters and recent 5,000-meter finalist at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Gonzales is primed to reach his national championship goals this fall.
“He is a leader every way you can be one,” said Henry. “He demonstrates his leadership in races, through his workouts, and he has the respect of his teammates. It’s not every day that you get to train with and hear advice from an experienced runner of Matt’s caliber. I think his presence helps everybody on our team.”
Strangely enough, Gonzales’ past success is perhaps the biggest obstacle in his path to greatness in 2004. After wrapping up a six-month competitive track season in mid-July, Gonzales took a short break before resuming his training for the upcoming cross country season. Keeping the Lobo standout fresh and healthy, especially late in the season, is of the utmost importance to Henry.
“That’s always a scare for me,” he said. “Your body can only take so much pounding, but I think we slowed him down enough during the summer that we’ll have plenty left in the tank this fall.”
Like Gonzales, stalwart seniors Ben Ortega (Taos, N.M.) and Nick Martinez (Pojoaque, N.M.), and talented junior Cameron Clarke (Albuquerque, N.M.) also return after redshirting the 2003 season.
Since earning second team all-Mountain West Conference honors and a berth in the NCAA Championship field as a sophomore, Ortega has struggled with injuries in recent years. When healthy, however, the Taos native is one of the toughest and most talented long distance runners in the region.
“I think Ben and I both have been frustrated with the way the past couple years have gone,” said Henry. “He’s very talented though and if we can just keep him away from injuries, I think we’ll have somebody as good as Matt Gonzales that we can line up each meet.”
Martinez has steadily improved each year and, along with Ortega, was one of Henry’s first signees at UNM. A veteran member of the Lobos’ top-5, the Pojoaque native has been one of the best 5K runners in the Mountain West each spring and will be looking for a strong finish to his cross country career this fall.
“Nick is one of those guys that doesn’t always get the credit that he deserves,” said Henry. “He is the backbone of this team though. Sometimes he gets overshadowed and other schools may not know a lot about him, but he can race with anybody.”
Clarke, meanwhile, has shown tremendous potential in the past, winning the elite Stanford Invitational and finishing third at the MWC championships as a sophomore in 2002. If he can overcome the various injuries that have plagued him in recent years and devote himself completely to his training regiment, Henry said he believes the former Sandia High School standout could be one of the best in the nation this year.
“If you asked me who was the most talented guy on the team – there’s no doubt about it that Cameron is that guy,” he said. “He’s in that same boat as Ben Ortega, unfortunately, in that he’s never really had a season where he’s been completely healthy. That kid is unbelievably talented though, and the sky is the limit on what he could accomplish.”
New Mexico’s top runner from a year ago, senior Sean Flaherty (Albuquerque, N.M.), also returns to the mix after successfully leading a young, inexperienced Lobo squad in 2003. A steady top-5 and top-7 runner during his first two years, the unassuming Flaherty was charged with pacing a team dominated by underclassmen while Gonzales, Ortega, Martinez and Clarke all sat out. The Albuquerque native responded by leading the team in all six meets and finished a career-best 18th at the MWC Championships, just four spots shy of earning all-conference honors.
“Sean did a great job as our number one man last year and he’s going to continue to play a big role for us this year,” said Henry. “We’re very glad to have him back for another season.”
The biggest news to hit the UNM cross country team this year may be the signing of prep All-American Shadrack Biwott, who established himself as one of the premier distance runners in the nation last year as a senior at Albuquerque La Cueva High School. The 5-10 native of Eldoret, Kenya has lived up to his lofty billing thus far in his offseason training, running at the front of the pack in each workout. If he can stay healthy throughout the year, Henry said he’d be surprised if Biwott isn’t running at the NCAA Championship meet this November.
“He told us right away that he wanted to come to the University of New Mexico and didn’t take any recruiting trips,” said Henry. “He’s not a secret though. Everybody knows what he can do, but think we’ve just scratched the surface of what Shadrack is capable of doing. He’s not afraid of anybody and he’s got great confidence in himself.”
While the top six appear to be somewhat set, Henry said there is a large, up-and-coming group of runners eager to make their mark and solidify the Lobo pack. Junior Nate Clem (Albuquerque, N.M.) and sophomores Steven Martinez (Pojoaque, N.M.) and Juan Ortega (Albuquerque, N.M.) all enjoyed a strong 2003 season and will be gunning for the seventh spot this fall.