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Tiger runners strut their stuff in the 'Open Range'
8/18/2007
By MIKE KESSINGER
Hays Daily News
In a way, Jason McCullough can thank his 1-year-old son Elijah.
If it weren’t for Elijah’s long naps while his father drove him around, McCullough might have never found the place he was looking for. Fortunately for the third-year Fort Hays State University cross country coach, he did find a country road to bring his men’s and women’s teams to for a preseason time trial. It’s the only time this season they’ll do it, and it gives McCullough a chance to see just who did do their summer conditioning.
“It’s an over-distance time trial,” McCullough said. “And it’s a true test of toughness and character, which are valuable in cross country.”
Fifteen miles north of Hays on Toulon Road, past Saline River Road, nestled in a valley among hills in Ellis and Rooks Counties, is where the Fort Hays cross country teams can be found at this one-time a year event. Titled the “Open Range Festival” the women’s team runs five miles, the men, 8.4 miles. It’s a two-day event; the women ran Friday, and the men on Saturday, making it the second straight year for the Festival.
“I think it’s kind of a good goal,” Fort Hays junior Ashlee Orr said. ”It’s something to look forward to all summer long while you’re training and putting all those miles in. It’s really something to kind of get you motivated to work towards.”
Accompanied by McCullough, Fort Hays track and field coach Dennis Weber, assistant coach Amber Stephens, manager Tyler Lauterback, and graduate assistant Aaron Davis all driving separate vehicles, the runners are well monitored.
With the men’s team on Friday morning not in the time trial and women not running it Saturday, both squads had quite the support from each other. Both teams did their best to have a little fun as spectators.
On Friday, the men’s team showed up in drag. All wearing women’s clothing, and some went that extra little to make it a bit more noticeable.
“The one that really sticks out is (junior) Jay Lindal, fully dressed in pink from head-to-toe. Very girlish,” said Orr, who won the women’s race in 31 minutes, 33 seconds, 12 seconds ahead of junior Jackie Jamison. “Freshman Jordan Stroup had some pretty good women attire on.
“Really, I didn’t have a chance to see them until I was finished. But I thought it was great they all dressed up, and supported us,” Orr added.
Aaron Davidson, who finished second Saturday behind senior Aaron Yoder, felt Lindal did stand out a little more in the women’s clothing.
“I’d have to say Jay,” Davidson said. “I mean any time you wear pink everything with pink thong, panties, or whatever, that’s the top. Then there’s Jordan with his snakeskin capris, but I really wasn’t wanting to go that route dressing like drag. I dressed a little more conservatively.”
The women’s team went with a more Hawaiian approach as they all wore bikini tops with lei’s. They even brought along a couple of signs.
Although it was fun to be a spectator, the run in an early morning setting that started at 7:30 was the hard part. None on the women’s 15 members dropped out, while the men’s team had four of the 22 stop before the end. As the men’s team did its run Saturday morning the only other thing along the country road that appeared to be doing much of any work was the oil pump jacks in the hills. Leaving the road to the runners, and nothing else.
On the final 100 yards of the men’s run, the finish line was at the top of a steep hill. Yoder, who came in first, made a big push up the hill as Davidson had closed a large gap between the two in the final three miles. The run up the hill at the end made it all the more satisfying for Davidson.
“I love it,” Davidson said of the hill. “I guess you can say it’s bittersweet. It’s what it’s all about. I would hate finishing on some flat and boring, or downhill. That’s too easy. It makes you run harder.”
With the goals of winning the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and beyond, the Open Range Festival was just the start for both Tiger teams.
Now, it’s just about putting all the other pieces together on a little bit shorter courses.
Sports reporter Mike Kessinger can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 127, or by e-mail at
mkessinger@dailynews.net.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 5/11 | Central Missouri | L 4-2 |
| BB | 5/10 | Missouri Western | W 4-3 |
| BB | 5/09 | Emporia State | L 6-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | W 17-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | L 4-3 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 15-7 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 5-4 |
| SB | 5/02 | Central Missouri | L 3-1 |
| SB | 5/02 | Missouri Western | W 3-2 |
| SB | 5/01 | Pittsburg State | W 6-0 |
