Each week, IUPUI cross country runner Rebecca Downs runs roughly 65 miles – approximately the same distance between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Her weekly long run is typically 14 miles, while she bangs out between eight and 10 miles on an otherwise typical day. Like a postal worker, it doesn’t matter if it’s rain, shine, hot or hotter; it’s a 2-3 hour commitment she makes every morning.

“Most of my teammates would agree with me, but you get to the point where adding a mile doesn’t seem like that much more,” Downs said. “When I was in high school, we ran 10 mile long runs. After that, another mile or two doesn’t seem like that big of a difference.”

It may be the difference between finishing in the top or the middle of the pack in The Summit League.

The ever improving women’s cross country program is on its third different head coach in four years, but has continued trending upwards. Last season, the Jaguars placed fifth in The Summit despite an otherwise subpar effort from senior rock Brittney McDuffee and a day in which sophomore Rachel Zajac gutted her way through an injury marred effort.

That day, Oakland provided the blueprint for success, ascending from a fourth-place finish in 2009 to the team title in 2010. The Golden Grizzlies put four runners among the top eight and edged Southern Utah by five points when their fifth runner crossed in 22nd place overall. Three of Oakland’s top five were seniors while the other two were juniors.

“You have to have five. I don’t care how fast your first two runners are – you have to have five,” first-year Head Coach Antonio McDaniel said. “You have to have a strong five, and in reality, a six and seven. I definitely think we’ll have that this year.”

Historically, the relatively young IUPUI program has had talent at the top of the lineup, but a dearth of talent has kept the Jaguars from ever finishing higher than third in the league. Lyndsey Emerson was a four-time First Team All-League performer from 2000-03, while Lindsy Walsh later earned back-to-back all-league accolades in 2004 and 2005. Yet, rarely did those two have much of a supporting cast from which to rely. Even when the Jaguars had a formidable 1-2 punch, never were there more than a few top level runners on the roster.

McDaniel thinks that trend is strictly a thing of the past. In 2011, he’s confident at least six different runners could challenge for the team’s top spot at any given meet. And that’s not taking into consideration the unknown quantity, also known as college freshmen.

“This year, Steph (Greer) and I are trying to guess who will be the top seven for conference and it’s tough. That’s a good thing,” McDaniel said. “If you have one strong runner and a few more that aren’t capable of helping that top runner, you’re not going to go anywhere as a team.

“We don’t have anyone that is going to blow the whole team away, and overall, that’s great for the team. They know they’re going to have to step their game up to run in the top seven or to run varsity. It’s not a great day when you have one runner have a great day and the rest of the team struggles. It’s not fun for that one runner and it’s not fun for the team.”

McDaniel knows that team success will ultimately breed additional individual successes. Or vice versa. His impetus is on team goals.

Paez is a two-time All-League performer and has gone under 18:30 in the 5K twice in her career. She nearly broke the school 6K record at The Summit League Championships in Carmel last season and is a two-time Team MVP.  

“Ana’s just a pure competitor. She’s so tough on race day,” Downs said of the Elkhart-native. “She’s just a really good racer.”

The junior class of Downs, Zajac and Kaci Verkamp will all be in the mix. Zajac got off to an incredible start to her sophomore year before being slowed by injuries in the second half of the season. Given a clean bill of health, she’s upping her personal mileage as the season nears. Downs and Verkamp have consistently been among the team’s top seven since joining the program in 2009, but are both primed to continue their ascent this season.

“Rachel is dedicated. She’s willing to pretty much do anything to help the team and is a great leader,” McDaniel said. “Becca has been working so hard and as a result of that, is going to see big improvements this year and huge improvements next year. Kaci’s been working so hard too and she’s going to see big improvements now that she’s healthy.

“I would like (the juniors) to be tied at the hip. I don’t want to hold anyone back, but I want that group to come up. We have that group, but they have to move up some. If you look at their track times, they’ve improved. They’re going to move up 30 or 40 seconds and that’ll make the team better.”

Downs knows she and her classmates will continue to provide a veteran backbone for an otherwise young bunch.

“The three of us have been really close. It’s been really fun to grow as runners and as people,” she said. “One of my favorite moments in running at IUPUI was at conference last year running with Kaci and Rachel. We’re just so close that it was fun to have that experience. And we’re a lot more confident, being upperclassmen now. Knowing that I’m one of the people the younger girls will look to, it’s given me personally a lot more confidence.”

If the juniors are the backbone, the sophomores could be the x-factor. They practically carried the Jaguars to a top half finish at The Summit League Meet a year ago. Rebekah Jones came on strong late in her freshman campaign. She ran with the lead pack for much of the biggest race of the year before ultimately finishing 32nd overall. The Indianapolis-native was among the team’s top three in the final three meets of the season and got even stronger during the spring track season. Classmate Mariana Lopez-Owens provided a similar clutch performance at The Summit League Championships, helping offset the fact that Zajac wasn’t at full strength.

Outgoing Head Coach Joni Sanders, who’s since helped seamlessly pass the torch to McDaniel, signed three incoming freshmen before resigning last spring. All three could contribute, but come from vastly different backgrounds.

Taylor Jones ran for perennial powerhouse West Lafayette High School, which placed third in the state a year ago. Jordan Hanaway comes from tiny Hebron High School, but should benefit from better training and friendly competition. And Amy Mattingly’s next cross country meet will be her first. The Evansville-native starred in track and soccer at Castle High School, but will shift her focus to distance running for the Jaguars.

“I met all of them when they visited and Allie (McGraw) created a Facebook group for the team so that’s been a great way to keep in touch this summer,” Downs said. “It’s very obvious that all three of them work very hard and they’re so meticulous about getting the mileage in.

Again, the depth and tighter pack will make the Jags stronger this season.

“To be a good Division I team, you have to run as a cohesive team,” McDaniel said. “I’ve already been stressing the importance of the one through five gap. To be a good team, you have to have a one through five gap of less than a minute.

“If you look at our meets last season, the teams that won had their one through five gap around 45 seconds. That’s where we need to get to. We have to get to the point where we have a lot of girls that are similar in ability and that’s how you win meets. During practice, we’re gonna stress staying together and picking up the pace. Then on race day, it’s just normal to keep that gap closed. It becomes second nature.”

Downs doesn’t necessarily know where she’ll place among her teammates on race days. She’s never been the team’s top finisher and isn’t necessarily worried about it. Honestly, she doesn’t even really think about it. Her focus is more on improving as a runner and helping the team in whatever capacity that may be.

“Becca is probably one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever known,” McDaniel said. “She just wants to do whatever it is to be good, whether it’s running more miles or whatever it takes.”

It may just be getting in front of an opposing runner in the final 200 meters in a tight meet.  

“The 4-5-6 runners are so important,” the Fort Wayne-native said. “It’s about creating that depth and building that competition within the team that makes us faster. It’s so much easier to race when you have a teammate running with you and struggling with you.

While running is punishment for most, the Jags are running with a common goal.

“When I have to go out and run, I think about all my teammates who are in Indy or all throughout the state who are out there running too,” Downs said. “We’re working hard every day and that’s what motivates me the most.”

The endgame is clear for the rookie head coach.

“I want to start finishing in the top three in the conference,” said McDaniel, who helped Indiana State to three conference crowns during his collegiate career. “In reality, I want to win conference. That’s what I’m used to.”

June 8 – Men’s Cross Country (JAGS LOOKING TO BIGGER ROSTER FOR LOWER SCORES IN 2011)
June 15 – Men’s Tennis (MEN'S TENNIS SETS SIGHTS ON ONE GOAL IN 2012)
June 22 – Women’s Golf (WOMEN'S GOLF TEAM ADDS A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE HEADING INTO 2011-12)
June 29 – Softball (THOMAS, JAGUARS LOOK FOR STRONGER 2012)
July 6 – Men’s Swimming & Diving (FUTURE BEGINS NOW FOR MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING)
July 13 – Women’s Basketball (TEAM BASKETBALL THE FOCUS FOR THE JAGUARS)
July 20 – Men’s Golf (MEN'S GOLF SETS SIGHTS ON REGIONALS IN 2012)
July 27 – Women’s Swimming & Diving (LEADERS POISED TO CARRY JAGUARS UP THE SUMMIT LEAGUE STANDINGS)
Aug. 3 – Women’s Cross Country (DEPTH THE KEY FOR WOMEN'S XC SUCCESS)
Aug. 10 – Women’s Soccer
Aug. 17 – Men’s Soccer
Aug. 24 – Volleyball
Aug. 31 – Men’s Basketball
Sept. 7 – Women’s Tennis