Norfolk State men's cross country coach Kenneth Giles makes no secret that his team has much higher goals than winning the MEAC Championship, which will be contested on the University of Maryland Eastern course Oct. 29.
The real prize that Giles has his eyes on is the NCAA Regional Championship and after that the National Championship. Since Spartan runners have produced six of the eight best times in the MEAC this season and eight of the top 20, Giles has every reason to think that his team is a lock for its 11th conference title in the past 12 years and fourth in a row.
Not so, Giles says.
"When you look at the times, it's easy to say no one else can compete with you,'' Giles says. "That's why we play the game. There are some teams out there that could sneak up and make it interesting.''
If Giles ever loses sight of that fact, all he has to do is think back to 2007. That's when Maryland Eastern Shore snapped the Spartans' streak of seven eight MEAC crowns, and he is casting a wary eye toward the Hawks again this season, primarily, he says, because of Coach Ernest Barrett's ability to prepare his runners.
"Coach Barrett is always a threat to win,'' Giles says. "He has a quality program. He knows how to win championships.''
Giles also says Florida A&M is another team that the Spartans can't look past.
Norfolk State senior Josef Tessema has the fastest in the conference this season, 24:43.91 at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invite on Sept. 17. Teammate Philemon Kimutai is right behind Tessema with 24:44.92, also at the Cappy Anderson Invite.
Next are Shuaib Winters of Florida A&M (25:20.00) and Basil Melek of Maryland Eastern Shore (25:23.0). Winters is the reigning MEAC champion.
Nathnael Meseret (25:41.80), Damtew Adnew (25:45.50), Vincent Romo (25:46.10) and Amos Kipkosgei (25:52.48) - all of Norfolk State - have the fifth through eighth best times.
"I'm not really sure anyone can beat Norfolk State,'' Florida A&M coach Wayne Angel says. "Anyone capable of beating them has to have the best meet of their life and Norfolk State has to have a subpar meet. They are the standard right now, and we're chasing them. We're going to do our best to challenge them.''
Given the Spartans' dominance in the conference, complacency could be as much of threat to their title hopes as any of the teams in the field. However, Giles says team members aren't about to rest on their laurels and they remain motivated to continue the championship tradition.
"What keeps them motivated they know we've had supremacy, and they don't want to give it up,'' he says. "You don't want to be that team. You know it will happen at some point. But you don't want it to happen on your watch.''
Even though the championship will be held at Maryland Eastern Shore, Giles says the Spartans will have something of an advantage, the same as the Hawks. Norfolk State runs there twice a year. His runners find the course to their liking, and they usually fare well.
"They know the course,'' Giles says. "If anybody has an advantage, it's both of us. It is a challenging course. People tend to misconstrue courses. They think the flatter the course the less challenging. Flat courses can be just as challenging. It's a fast course. But if you don't have fast-twitch muscles can be challenging course. Slower teams like hills to offset their lack of speed. This course is perfect for our team. We look forward to going there every year.''
On the women's side, defending champion Hampton is in a similar position as the Norfolk State's men's team. The Lady Pirates returned five runners from their 2010 conference championship squad. They don't dominate conference statistics the way Norfolk State does, but Coach Maurice Pierce is confident in his squad's ability.
"We've been running well all year,'' Coach Maurice Pierce says. They have trained well, and they've progressed every meet. I think we're ready to peak.''
Nichelle Harris and Alaine Tate have the best times among Hampton's runners at 19:07.30, which ties them for 10th best in the conference. Devyn Thompson, who has the 16th best time (19:20.50), and Teshika Rivers (19:29.30), who has the 19th fastest time, are Lady Pirates among runners with the 20 best performances this season.
"The key for us is all five girls running together,'' Pierce says. "We can't have a lot of gaps between runners. We need to get out hard and control the race.
Pierce expects Florida A&M and Maryland Eastern Shore to provide the Lady Pirates with the most competition. Eunice Jones and Cynthia Anais of Maryland Eastern Shore have the top two times among MEAC women, 18:06.66 and 18:39.35, respectively, at the DSU Invitational on Oct. 7.
Florida A&M is one of the most improved squads in the conference on either side after finishing eighth last season. Coach Darlene Moore brought in four new runners this season - Nadine Mulbany, Nichola Listhrop and Simone Durden, Ciera Williams. Their arrival pushed Clarricia Golden, the Lady Rattlers' No.1 runner last season, to No. 4.
"Florida A&M has got a great team,'' Pierce says. "They have five strong runners.''
"We are hoping to be one of the top three teams,'' Moore says. "What it's going to boil down to who wants it the most. In championships anything can happen. We've been running well.
I'm trying to get them mentally ready for the championships.