Cross Country

St. Mary´s Cross Country Finishes Eighth at UIW Invitational

SAN ANTONIO—Marcey Morales finished 23rd overall, helping St. Mary’s University to an eighth place finish as a team at the University of the Incarnate Word Invitational, run at the Live Oak City Park Saturday morning.

Morales (Sr., Lytle) covered the five-kilometer course in 22:38 to finish 23rd individually. Allison Mendez of the University of Texas took the individual crown, running a time of 19:02 to cross the finish line first. Four of the top five finishers were from the University of Texas.

The second Rattler to cross the finish line was Ariel Ornales (Fr., Fort Worth), who had a time of 22:58. Amy Crissman (Sr., San Antonio) was third with a 25:13, Kristyn Mathewson (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) had a time of 25:42 to finish fourth among Rattler runners, Katrina White (Jr., San Antonio) and Alyssa Alfaro (So., Eagle Pass) both finished with a time of 28:43.

In the team standings, the University was Texas took top honors with a score of 16 points, well ahead of second play Incarnate Word, who had 69 points. Texas State University was third with 85 points, the University of Texas of the Permian Basin was fourth with 140, Texas A&M University-Kingsville was fifth with 153, while St. Mary’s was eighth with 196.

The Rattlers will run next at the Heartland Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 24, on the campus of Dallas Baptist University.

    

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