Florida’s cross country teams will enter the 2013 season with high expectations.
Last year, UF’s women won their third Southeastern Conference title in four years; the men’s squad placed fifth.
However, coach Paul Spangler expects his athletes to build on that success in 2013.
"Coming off winning the SEC championships last year, you can get too comfortable," Spangler said.
"It’s important for the athletes to know this is a new year. When you’re the SEC champs, the bull’s-eye on your back gets a little bigger."
The preseason SEC rankings have Florida’s men and women pegged to finish second in their respective fields.
Two key seniors from the women’s title run in 2012, Florence Ngetich and Callie Cooper, graduated and have left huge voids to fill.
After redshirting last season, junior Cory McGee is hoping to become a key contributor.
"Cory’s a tremendous leader on the team," Spangler said.
"She’s coming off the world championships and just returned from Moscow. We’re going to be counting on her to score some points."
Sharing the load with McGee are seniors Agata Strausa, Shelby Hayes and Stephanie Strasser.
"They’ve really stepped up here with the graduation of Florence and Callie," Spangler said of the group of seniors.
"Not only stepping into roles as the top athletes on the team but leadership roles. They’ve done a really good job at helping the younger athletes to understand what it takes to be successful at this level."
Complementing the unit is a group of underclassmen being led by true freshman Taylor Tubbs, who earned high praise from her coach.
"Tubbs has looked phenomenal in practice," Spangler said. "She could be the find of the 2013 recruiting class."
The men could have a freshman phenom of their own in Andres Arroyo.
Arroyo competed in Gainesville earlier this year at the Florida Relays, where he posted a time of 1:47.79 in the boy’s 800m — good for the sixth-fastest time in U.S. high school history.
"Andres comes in as arguably one of the top recruits in the country running 1:47," Spangler said.
"He comes in with an impressive pedigree and somebody that we certainly could be counting on later in the cross country season."
Arroyo is one of nine underclassmen set to provide depth to an inexperienced unit.
"We have a lot of depth right now on the men’s side," Spangler said. "We’re going to be counting on them to close that gap to our forerunners."
UF will host the 2013 SEC Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2002. Spangler expects there to be added motivation.
"Having the SEC championships here gives our athletes extra motivation to train harder in the summer and to train harder during the year so they can come out here on their home course in front of their fans and their families and hopefully keep the title here in Gainesville," Spangler said.
Follow Gordon Streisand on Twitter @GordonStreisand.
Florida runner Cory McGee competes in a 2011 race. UF cross country's season began with the Western Carolina Invitational on Friday.
