Cross country teams look to improve in ‘19

By Julie Newell
Sports/Photo Editor

Going into a new season of cross country, LCC Head Coach Jim Robinson said he is optimistic as he enters his 12th season of leading the team.

Last year, both the men's and the women's teams were regional and conference champions and both teams were in the top 20 in the nationals. Pushing to do better this year, Robinson said, "I want to get both teams in the top 10 in nationals."

To help them get to the top 10 are returning runners and team captains for the men's team, Dillan Haviland and Christopher Davis.

"I Expect Dillan and Chris to be two of the best runners we have ever had in the history of the school," Robinson said.

On the women's team, Claudia Baryo and Fatuma Jillo are two runners to look out for, Robinson said.

"(Claudia is) one of the hardest working runners I've ever had … (She) had one of the best times we have ever recorded," Robinson said.

Jillo is a sophomore from Kenya.

"I think she is going to have a really good sophomore year," Robinson said of Jillo.

"We have a really good group of runners. One of things I get excited about is seeing someone run fast, and run faster than they ran before," Robinson said.

The team was scheduled to open the season on Friday, Aug. 30 in the Comet Open in Charlotte.

The next meet for the men's and women's cross country teams is on Friday, Sept. 13 in East Lansing.