Despite having a slim, six-man roster, a new coach and no women’s team whatsoever, Mt. Hood’s cross country squad has managed to put together a fulfilling season and a strong outlook for next year.

During the summer, former head coach Tony Baracco resigned from his duties with the track and cross country teams. Former Mt. Hood NWAACC athlete and assistant coach under Keith Maneval, Matt Hart, was chosen to take his place. Baracco was described by many of his former athletes as being more laid back in his coaching style, whereas Hart has proven himself to be more of a strict coach this season.

“There was a definite change this season when we lost our coach,” said sophomore Aaron Hensley. “Tony was a great coach but Matt is more serious and we still have fun. He definitely has a lot more knowledge about the muscles we use and how they work.”

Sophomore Isaac McNutt said it took him a little longer than the other sophomores to adapt to the radical change in coaching styles. “When our coach was replaced, there was a big change in the technical part of it and it was quite difficult to adjust to. Tony had much more know-how when it came to the different teams and their ranks, but Matt knows a lot more about physical anatomy and how to adjust to all of the different parts of running.” Others agree with both aspects. “Tony was much more laid back. A great guy, but his coaching style was a little soft, “ said assistant coach Tiffany Edwards, who ran under Baracco when he was an assistant coach for Warner Pacific College. “Matt has more of an edge and experience with coaching NWAACC championship teams (Hart helped coach MHCC’s men’s track team to an NWAACC championship in 2000 and he was also a champion himself in 1994 when he won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 55.14.) He’s really educated when it comes to technique and creating a running program – he knows the proper technique that good athletes should have. He’s also really enthusiastic about running – it’s his passion.

“My coach when I was running at Mt. Hood was Keith Maneval. He was also Matt’s mentor, and I see a lot of him and his style in Matt,” she added.

Hart said that under his instruction, Edwards is actually running faster times than she has in the last five years. “It’s important for our runners to see that – that she has plugged into the program and she is improving too,” he said.

The program Hart has worked to instill in his runners this season is based on getting into better shape and training their muscles to handle more resistance for competition.

Everything from straight running to weightlifting and sprinting underwater has been added to their practice repertoire this year.

“It took me a little while, but once I plugged into Matt’s program, I really plugged-in,” said Hensley. “Most of the resistance that was there at the beginning of the year is gone. The two freshmen we have, Rolando and Alex, have done really well with it and Isaac has improved a lot too. He’s much stronger than he was at the beginning of the season.”

Hart said most of his returning runners from last year have fully plugged into his training program and benefited from the results. “Isaac has some regrets with the way he came into the season because he was pretty out of shape, but he really worked hard and now I see huge increases in his potential. I think he’ll be really strong when the track season starts. Aaron completely redesigned his running technique this year and really adapted to what I was preaching. His new and improved running style has really upped his potential. Alex didn’t buy into the program as much as I would have liked because last season he wasn’t getting the kind of coaching he needed so he went out and found other coaches to help him out. Now he has a lot of these different philosophies surrounding him and no one strategy is necessarily wrong, but I do have very high confidence in mine. He’s a really strong competitor with a good strategy – I just wish he would have bought into it a little more.”

Part of Hart’s tough program includes a running route he calls the river run, which includes a steep hill the team has nicknamed Warrior Hill. During practice Thursday afternoon, for the fourth time this season, the team tackled the more than eight-mile course with vigor. Hart’s river run begins at the gym entrance of MHCC and travels left down 17th Street and then turns left onto Troutdale Road. The team then follows the road until they reach the heart of old-town Troutdale and turn back. Usually, they run until they reach the Dairy Queen that intersects with Troutdale Road and Stark Street, but occasionally they continue running up Stark until they turn left into the college’s side entrance. Hart has them run this difficult trek to build up their stability in handling hills.
The course for the NWAACC Championships, Lewisville State Park in Battle Ground, Wash., has a large hill that Hart wants his team to conquer during the competition, Saturday, Nov. 12.

“The hill practice will make a huge difference for us,” said Hensley. “It will help us get ready and prepare us for the big hill at the NWAACCs.”

At the NWAACC championships, the team’s goal is not to pursue a spot in the top three, because three of the strongest teams in the NWAACC are all from the Southern Region – Lane, Clackamas and Clark – but they do plan on competing their toughest to meet or break the majority of their personal records.

“I’ve come really close to hitting my personal record in a few meets this year and my goal at the NWAACCs is to hit it or maybe even pass it,” said McNutt.

Hensley has come within two seconds of his personal record multiple times this season and hopes to at least reach or surpass it at the championships too.

Edwards has high hopes for the team as well. “It’s our biggest meet as far as the season has gone,” she said. “We’ll go out not expecting too much, though. All we hope is that they push each other, run smart and implement at least some of the strategies Matt has taught them.”