The Saints may not be a dominating force in cross country this season, but, what they lack in number they more than restore in spirit and commitment.

This year, the Saints will run under new coach Matt Hart, a former assistant track coach under Keith Maneval for six years, until 2003. Hart was a valuable element in the 2000 men’s track season, when they claimed the NWAACC championship trophy, the highest men’s showing ever. Hart is also a former MHCC NWAACC champion himself, winning the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 1994 with a time of 55.14. He replaces Tony Baracco as the head coach of the track and field program this fall. Baracco resigned over the summer.

The new coach describes his coaching style as changing just about every day, depending on what level the team is at during a certain period. His overall philosophy is basically to work his runners back into top form with extensive training and hard work that occupies many different parts of their bodies and minds. To do this, he may become somewhat of a cross country tyrant during team practices. “I may yell, kick, shout, and spit when I talk (during practice), but deep down, I’m really having fun,” he said.

Hart has high hopes for his seven runners, five of whom are returning from last year. The men include Isaac McNutt, Aaron Hensley, Stephen Hickernell, Alex Dominguez-Morales (whom he fondly refers to as Domo), and freshmen Alex Boyles and Rolando Cruz. Only one woman will take to the track this year, returning veteran Ashley Mulvaney.

He believes the small numbers are due to what he calls the three F’s - flip-outs, flake-outs and flunk-outs. “I had a lot of those already happen this year,” he said.

However, despite the small numbers, Hart believes he has a good core of athletes. “I anticipate good things happening this year,” he said. “I want to take these committed individuals and see them all improve.”

Hart said his main goal as a track coach is to always see his runners improve. “I hope they will all plug into the program and make pure and solid improvement over the season,” he said.

He is hoping to encourage this progress with what he calls science-based training. “Early in the season we are doing extensive training during the day,” he said. “Right now I’m not worried about their early performances. I’m mainly concerned with getting them back into shape.”

Hart has the team running in the morning for about 30-40 minutes, and he also has them meeting at 3 p.m. just to train. In addition, he has them working in the weight room, something he says is vital to ensuring his runners’ overall abilities throughout the season.

The first meet of the year was Sept. 17 at the University of Washington in Seattle. At the meet, the Sundodger Invitational, the men finished in second place out of 30 schools (including the University of Portland, George Fox and Eastern Oregon), behind Bellevue, with 732 points. Morales also finished the eight-kilometer race in the 89th, out of 311 finishers, with a time of 26:38. Mulvaney did not compete, leaving the women’s team out of contention for the event.

The team will travel to the Willamette Invite in Salem, Saturday, Oct. 1. Once again, Hart is really not concerned with his athletes’ overall performances, but that they get closer to where they need to be when it really matters – down the stretch of the season. He wants his runners to be sound in both body and mind by the time midseason approaches.

After all, said Hart, referring to his dedicated runners, “A warrior’s reward comes from within.”