With the fall season underway for the Wolfpack, Loyola’s Cross Country team is preparing for their first meet.

Hosted by Loyola’s own Andy Canegitta, head cross country coach, the team hopes to have a great turnout this year.
Canegitta, now in his second season as head coach of Loyola’s track team, has a new vision for his runners. He feels that this season should be about rebuilding and competition.

Joilynn Hollies, sociology sophomore, has just begun her second season with the cross country team and already has seen some new workouts and exercises Canegitta has implemented this year. 

“There’s the swim workouts … When we were here early we did two practices a day and longer runs. He has a core workout that we did do before track season but we didn’t do for cross country and now he’s implementing that so that’s different.”

According to Canegitta, it’s one of the best ways to avoid injuries during the season.

With two-a-day practices prior to the start of the school year and weekly swim workouts, the team is taking their old routine to new heights.

When asked about any runners to watch out for, Canegitta said, “On the women’s side we added Hannah Dougherty, Clare Hearns and Jenna Knoblach. I think those three will help us. Hannah is already right now running with an NAIA, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, national qualifier. We’re looking really strong.”

Dougherty, Hearns and Knoblach are all freshmen recently added to the women’s team and are, according to Canegitta, promising contributions to the team along with freshmen Kieran Harper, Alex Mayon, Kenny Tsao and Galen Westerfield.
He believes these freshmen are coming with new talent and determination.

Canegitta feels everyone has taken great strides since last season, but believes Annelise Rickert, marketing sophomore, has made the most improvement since last semester.

“The most improved runner from last year is (Annelise) Rickert. She’s already dropped three or four minutes from last year’s time over the summer so she’s going to step up big time this year.”

The team wants to take the conference championship this season and believes the new talent will help them succeed.
With new teammates, old traditions and workouts to improve this already talented team of student athletes, Canegitta may have found a record breaking team.

“My hope for this season is to become conference champs in the men’s and women’s division. On the men’s side, it may be a bit of a challenge because we just put in two top freshmen. On the women’s side the expectations are higher and there is a good chance that we may be conference champs,” he said.

When asking Hollies about her personal goals and goals for her team mates this season, she simply said, “You would have to ask someone who’s way more competitive than me.

But I would like to be faster than last season. And to possibly break a 22 minute three mile run. I don’t want to be too ambitious with a 21 minute,” she laughed.

The team hopes that they can beat all of their own personal records as well as take out their competition in our long time rivals Spring Hill and Xavier.

 Xavier’s Cross Country team, who took the conference title last season, is said to be the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference’s main competition.

The Cross Country team competes in their first meet this Saturday, Sept. 12 at La Freniere Park in Metairie, La. beginning at 8:00a.m.

Caryln Worthy can be reached at [email protected]