KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College men's and women's cross country teams are set to begin competition as part of several MIAA indoor and outdoor track and field meets in the spring 2021 season. Due to a delay of the cross country season until fall 2021, the Hornets will participate in distance events at track meets starting this weekend.
The Kalamazoo roster features eight newcomers to the women's team and five on the men's team. Both teams have two returners to the squad. In 2019 the women finished 26th at the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional, while the men took 35th place.
Key Dates
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The Hornets will open their season on Saturday, Feb. 13 with an indoor meet at Trine University in Angola, Ind.
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Both teams will run again at Trine on Feb. 27.
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The MIAA Open and the Championship will be held in April with exact dates, times, and locations to be determined.
Returning Statistical Leaders
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Rachael Gallap returns for her senior season on the women's team. She led the Hornets last year at Regionals in 69th place overall and was named to the All-MIAA Second Team for her efforts.
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Rounding out the returners for the women is sophomore Anna Varitek, who ran in all seven meets last season and finished 132nd at Regionals.
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Two of the returning Hornet runners for the men's team (Sam Meyer, Lucas Rizzolo) competed in at least five of last year's seven meets.
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Rizzolo placed second for the Hornets at Regionals (216th overall) with a run time of 28:22.
Head Coach Kyle Morrison
Coach Morrison returns for his second season at the helm of the Kalamazoo men's and women's cross country teams. Morrison came to Kalamazoo from Pepperdine University where he was a volunteer assistant coach with the Waves' cross country and track programs while teaching in the University's sports medicine department. He received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Hope College in 2004 and earned a Ph.D. in kinesiology at Michigan State University.
Quoting Coach Morrison
"The cross country teams will be competing in middle-distance to distance races (800 meters to 10000 meters) in both indoor and outdoor track and field meets this winter and spring. The two indoor meets at Trine will be a great opportunity for us to get back into a competitive mode. After losing the fall season to COVID, we want to capitalize on any opportunity to get better. We will be looking to safely compete and have an opportunity to see where our fitness is and continue building for the spring and next fall." -Kyle Morrison