A team that expected to have a senior presence has suddenly found itself in a state of flux, unsure whether they’ll be classified as deep or young.
Mac Reynolds doesn’t care about the classifications.
Regardless of who is on the team, the redshirt sophomore just wants to race as fast as he can and help lead the Gators this season.
He is on the right track, as he claimed first place at the Western Carolina Invitational to open the season for the Florida men’s cross country team.
"Getting that first win, yeah that was huge," Reynolds said. "It’s a smaller race but certainly it was great."
After competing in all seven races last year as a redshirt freshman, Reynolds showed flashes of leadership and speed that has coach Paul Spangler confident in the Gators’ depth.
Reynolds, along with freshmen Thomas Howell and William Decker, comprise a young nucleus of runners that has the team optimistic about it’s future going forward.
In UF’s sole home meet of the season — the Mountain Dew Invitational — Reynolds finished in a career-best 11th place.
Despite the achievements, Reynolds was not satisfied.
"I wasn’t pleased with my race," Reynolds said. "I want to run a lot faster, and I can run a lot faster."
When statements like that are considered, it’s easy to see why Spangler is so confident in handing the reins of the team to the young guns.
One of the unresolved questions on the team is whether seniors Eddie Garcia and Jimmy Clark will race for the Gators this season.
While all signs point to the pair redshirting this season and returning next season, Spangler says a verdict hasn’t been made yet.
But with the Wisconsin adidas Invitational coming up on Oct. 17, Spangler knows he must solidify who will help lead the team going forward.
"We got a decision to make in the next few weeks about whether they’ll compete or not," Spangler said, referring to the statuses of Garcia and Clark. "It depends certainly on how they progress and how the rest of the team progresses."
With Garcia finishing third at the Mountain Dew Invitational, the Gators would have bested Georgia Tech and taken first place if his points had counted for Florida.
Instead, UF had to settle for second, leaving the team to wonder what might have been if it had the support of the seniors.
Despite the seniors absence, Reynolds knows the team can meet their lofty goals going forward – even if he’s going to avoid setting them.
"We still have a very good shot at going to Nationals and placing if we keep working hard," Reynolds said. "It puts more pressure on us for sure, because those guys are great runners and to fill in for them will be really hard."
Follow Graham Hall on Twitter @graham311
Mac Reynolds races during the 2014 Mountain Dew Invitational on UF's Mark Bostick Golf Course.
