Cross Country

Cross Country Picked 4th in Heartland Preseason Poll

St. Mary's was picked fourth in the Heartland Conference preseason poll. (File Photo/Antonio Morano Photography)

SAN ANTONIO — There’s a new coach and a new last name for its top runner, but the expectations remain the same for St. Mary’s Cross Country this season.

After qualifying last year for the NCAA Division II South Central Regional meet for the first time since 2006, the Rattlers have been picked fourth in the Heartland Conference preseason poll, it was announced this week.

St. Mary’s, which placed fourth at the Heartland Conference Meet a year ago, will be led this fall by first-year coach Haley Long. Also the Rattlers’ assistant softball coach, Long comes from the University of Texas-Permian Basin, where she completed her master’s degree in kinesiology in 2012.

She inherits a talented roster at St. Mary’s, led by the newly married Jessica Waninger-Saroni (Santa Claus, Ind.), a triathlete who finished 10th at last year’s conference meet. One of eight returning runners, Waninger-Saroni will be joined by a trio of newcomers—two of whom are anything but new to St. Mary’s Athletics.

Fifth-year seniors Angelique De Oliveira and DeAnna Patterson will run cross country this fall after previously starring in women’s tennis and women’s basketball, respectively. Patterson (Converse, Texas) was an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection last year, while De Oliveira (Wattrelos, France) helped the Lady Rattlers advance to the Heartland semifinals in tennis.

Dallas Baptist was picked first in the preseason poll with 73 total votes and nine-first place votes, while Newman came in second with 66 votes and two first-place tallies. Texas A&M International was picked third with two more votes than the 42 votes St. Mary’s received. 

The Rattlers will open up the 2012 season at the Alamo City Opener at Olmos Basin Park in San Antonio on Aug. 31.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men’s basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men’s golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men’s golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary’s also had 65 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary’s student–athletes graduation rate is 63 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.stmarytx.edu/athletics.

    

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