UH-Hilo will ride a freshman wave at Big Wave.
Women’s cross-country coach Jaime Guerpo begins his 21st season Saturday with a squad consisting of Meghan Langbehn and the young bunch.
His top competitor for four years running, Anna Baker Mikkelsen, is gone, but in to fill the void are seven freshmen, ensuring the program will get off to a fresh start at the 18th annual Big Wave Invitational, hosted by the University of Hawaii at Kahuku Golf Course near Laie, Oahu.
“For sure, this was a completely new situation for me,” Guerpo said in a university release. “But I like it. I have seven runners who are excited and all starting on the same page. None of them have run a college race.”
Langbehn is a senior but is hardly an experienced collegiate runner herself. She competed in cross-country for the first time last season, running five races while doubling as a fullback on the soccer team.
The hope is that her work ethic can become contagious. The nursing major juggled cross-country meets and soccer matches on the same day four times last season.
Langbehn twice finished second in 2017 for the Vuls. Her fastest time in the 5K was 19 minutes, 49 seconds, though she missed the Pacific West Conference championships with an injury.
“Meghan is still getting back into shape …,” Guerpo said. “But she has great influence on these girls. She will race this weekend, but we will taper her races and she won’t try and combine that with soccer and the nursing program this year.”
Among the freshmen, Guerpo indicated three are leading the pack: Annaka Barragan (Folsom, Calif.), Olivia Jarvis (Oceanside, Calif.) and Makena Morris (Chino Hills, Calif.), with Caitlin Kawaiaea of Waianae, Oahu, close behind.
“They all have improved since arriving here,” Guerpo said.
The other Hawaii native is Maui’s Lily Gavagan, and she Kathy Perez (Astoria, Ore.) and Shaelee West (Chandler, Ariz.) will try to work their way into form.
As usual, the Vuls will host a meet this season, Sept. 29 at Naniloa Golf Course. The PacWest championships are Nov. 2 in Fresno, Calif.
“Peaking for the conference championships is always the goal,” Guerpo said. “They are all training races in some shape or form to help us peak for early November.”
On Friday, the Vuls were picked to finish last in the 12-team league by the PacWest coaches.
“The girls are ready to race,” Guerpo said. “I don’t need to motivate them. In terms of positive attitudes and drive, this is the best situation that I have been in as a coach in a long time. They are excited and willing to learn. That’s about as good as it gets for a coach.”
Vulcans split
The Vulcans finished the day where they started: .500.
Earning a messure of revenge, Saint Martin’s beat UHH 25-16, 25-17, 18-25, 19-25, 15-10 win in the nightcap of the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase at San Francisco State.
The Vuls (2-2), who swept the Saints last week at home, were led by their middles. Senior Kylie Davis tallied a career high 13 kills, hitting .423 , and Ashton Jessee had 12 kills with a red-hot .500 hitting percentage.
Earlier, senior outside hitter Evelin Solyomvari posted a career-high 18 kills in a 25-17, 21-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-13 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills.
