Head Coach: 

Houston Franks (3rd Year)

 

Last Year:

10th SEC 

7th South Region 

No NCAA Appearance

 

Probable Top Five:

SO Rhianwedd Price (4:16 1500m; 12th South Region XC '13)

JR Cornelia Griesche (9:35 3k; 16:49 5k; 10:00 3k Steeple)

SR Emma Neigel (9:35 3k; 10:19 3k Steeple)

SO Lisa Ziegler (16:43 5k; 10:18 3k Steeple)

SR Jodie McGuff (17:24 5k)

Impact Freshman/Recruits:

Mia Meydrich - Dominican, LA (5:04 1600m; 11:24 3200m; Lousiana State XC Champ '13)

Analysis:

Houston Franks has a very solid four to count on for his Lady Bulldogs in their first entry into our top 31 women’s teams.

 

He got a real gem in Rhianwedd Price, from some unprounceable little town in Wales (Llandrindiod Wells, Wales to be exact). She was not on the top of any British lists, but Franks believed in her and he helped her get better. Her 4:16 on the track startled a lot of people on both sides of the pond. She was also a solid cross runner for her first year, placing 12th in the South Region. Price will be their leader.

 

His two German girls, Cornelia Griesche and Lisa Ziegler, are now more experienced and their cross country performances are bound to catch up to their track times and Franks hopes sooner rather than later.

 

Senior Emma Neigel is solid. She should serve well as a fourth place scorer. The trick for Coach Franks is where does he find a fifth? He got a nice recruit in Mia Meydrich, whose track times of 5:04 and 11:24 are not spectacular, but anytime you win your state cross country meet as she did in Louisiana, you deserve respect.

Mia and the other returning senior, Jodie McGruff, need to push each other for that fifth spot. Depth is a problem for this team. Franks has been around this program for a while, having run at Mississippi State and coached the men for the past 8 years. Kudos to him for bringing this program back to respectability and he now has a shot to get to the dance in Indiana.

#31 Men's Team - Florida