Cross Country

Wicketts Named Heartland Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Tara Wicketts was named Heartland Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year (photo by Derek Smolik, St. Mary's Sports Information).

SAN ANTONIO—St. Mary’s University women’s cross country runner Tara Wicketts was named Heartland Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her work in the classroom and on the cross country course.

Wicketts (Sr., Cibolo) received the prestigious honor for the first time as a Rattler. Already this year, she earned first team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors for the second straight year, and was a Heartland Conference President’s Honor Roll student for the fourth straight year.

On the cross country course, Wicketts finished in the top 20 in five of the six meets last season for the Rattlers, including three top-10 finishes. She placed eighth overall at the Heartland Conference Championships, earning her All-Heartland Conference honors for the fourth-straight season; the first Rattler to accomplish that feat in cross country. Her highest finish on the course was a fourth place showing at the UTSA/Ricardo Romo Classic.

Off the course, Wicketts was an outstanding all-around student. She graduated in May with a 3.94 grade point average, majoring in psychology. She was a three-year member of the Honor Roll, vice-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), treasurer of Phi Alpha Delta Professional Pre-Law Fraternity, secretary of Phi Eta Sigma Honors Fraternity and a member of the Dean's List.

To win the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve for their team and have a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

The St. Mary’s Athletics Department had a very strong year academically in 2007-08. St. Mary’s had a total of five Academic All-District honorees for the 2007-08 academic year. Bobby Freeman (Sr., Fair Oaks Ranch) of baseball, Natalie Gamez (Jr., San Antonio) of women’s basketball, Sarah Cooper (Sr., Houston) of the softball team, Jessie Smith (Jr., Boerne) and Wicketts of the cross country team earned Academic All-District honors this year. The five honorees in one academic year is a new school record, eclipsing the mark of four, set last year.

The volleyball team was honored recently by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) with the Team Academic Award. Forty-four Rattler student-athletes were named to the Heartland Conference President’s Honor Roll, while 63 were named to the Heartland Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.

    

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Haley Long

Taking on a dual role in her first year on the St. Mary's coaching staff, Haley Long will serve as the Rattlers' head cross country coach and assistant softball coach, leading with experience and high expectations for success.

Long comes into her new coaching roles as a former athlete herself, having enjoyed an extensive softball career dating back to her star-studded career at Brenham High School in her hometown of Brenham, Texas, where she earned First-Team All-State, Academic All-State and helped her team to a state title. The former right fielder then took her play to the collegiate level, playing her freshman year at Blinn College before finishing her career at the University of Nebraska. After slugging away for a .355 batting average, 43 runs scored, five doubles, 33 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a team-high 10 triples in her sole season at Bilnn, Long became a three-year starter in right field for the University of Nebraska. There, her success led to a Second Team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore. As a junior competing in the Big 12 championship, Long earned an All-Tournament Team selection. Her three years at the University of Nebraska also gave Long a three-time stint on the Big 12 Commissioners' Honor Roll.

Long completed her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska in 2009 and completed her master's degree in kinesiology at the University of Texas-Permian Basin in 2012.

While completing her master's degree, Long took her first step in coaching as one of Blinn College's assistant softball coaches and helped the Buccaneers to a fourth-place national championship finish in 2012. During her two years on the coaching staff, Blinn received the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year both years.

With a Division I, Big 12 athletic transcript and an accredited coaching background, Long looks forward to being an asset to St. Mary's softball team and taking the cross country team to new heights.

"I'm excited to see what their expectations are of themselves," says Long of her Rattler runners, "and see how they respond to my expectations for them. My expectations of them are to work hard every day and build a work ethic of a winning mentality. I want them to put themselves on the map and know that they do matter. This is going to become a growing program, and we re going to be expected to win."

Long takes on her head cross country and assistant softball coach position with confidence, priming for two teams of Rattler talent to work with.

"I'm just excited to get started," she said.

2012 St. Mary's Cross Country Roster