The sophomore transfer from Lindenwood University and last year’s NAIA individual runner-up made quite a spectacle in Azusa Pacific’s first race of the 2006 season. Rono became the first Cougar in 9 years to win a men’s cross country race, literally running away at the opening gun from more than 200 runners to the win the Cal State Fullerton “Season Opener” at Carbon Canyon Park.
Rono registered a sizzling time of 24:48 over the 8K course to easily best his nearest competitor by 14 seconds. In the process, the Kenyan native posted the best time by a Cougar since 1995. Rono’s opening split of 4:44 over the first mile put him well ahead of the crowd and allowed him to run alone and in the open the entire race.
“I was actually hoping that Aron would go out a little slower,” said second-year Azusa Pacific coach Preston Grey, “but he didn’t like the pace that was being set so he took control. He had a move or 2 left at the end if anyone was going to make a run at him.”
As far as season openers go, Rono’s time ranks among the best in Cougar cross country history. Overall, the time is 12th on the all-time Cougar chart, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities over the coming weeks to move up the ladder, and perhaps, though it is still early in his career, become the first Cougar ever to post a sub-24 time.
“I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what Aron can do,” said Grey. “His past isn’t very lengthy when it comes to distant running and his training has been intermittent. He is obviously a super talented kid, and he did today what we wanted him to– win the race.”
Rono’s performance highlighted a team effort in which the NAIA’s No. 4-ranked Azusa Pacific finished fifth out of 18 teams. GSAC rival and No. 2-ranked Concordia was impressive in its opening competition of the season, winning the meet by more than 70 points over its nearest collegiate competitor.
Fellow Cougar newcomer Caleb Mesa, a freshman out of Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., continued his surprising emergence that began during last month’s training camp in the mountains at Mammoth by finishing 22nd overall with a 26:41. Sophomore John Pfeil picked up from where he left off following a strong track season, finishing third among the Cougars with a 27:25, good enough for 45th overall. Two-time All-GSAC performer Caleb Lynch was 49th overall, finishing with a time of 27:31, while Peter Sherman followed on Lynch’s heels with a 27:32 to come in 50th and round out the Cougar scoring contingent.
“The exciting thing is that we’re going to get better,” said Grey. “To have guys like Lynch and Sherman finishing fourth and fifth means that we’re deep, and those 2 guys will certainly bring their times down much more as the season progresses.”
Bryan Rodie, a transfer from Boise State, and veteran Christian Snyder just missed scoring for Azusa Pacific, finishing 75th and 87th, respectively, with times of 28:00 and 28:19.
Led by sophomore Jaime Canterbury the NAIA’s No. 20-ranked Azusa Pacific women’s team finished eighth out of 19 teams at the same meet. Concordia also won the women’s race, but the Cougars were able to knock off GSAC rivals Biola and No. 11-ranked Vanguard.
Canterbury clocked a very fine 18:58 over the 5K course, just 8 seconds off her personal record registered at last year’s NAIA regional meet. The Laguna Niguel native ran with teammates Olivia Richart and Whitney Jacobsmeyer through the first half of the meet before pulling away over the final 2000 meters.
“I’m very encouraged,” said Grey. “We weren’t sure what we were going to get today, but it’s clear that Jamie has taken the torch. If she keeps this up, she’ll be eye-balling All-American status by season’s end.”
Richert, who is looking to bounce back from a sub-par 2005, was quite strong in her showing, finishing 31st out of 225 runners with a fine season-opening time of 19:25. Jacobsmeyer, a 2-time All-American, is still coming back from a summer stress fracture and yet performed well, clocking a 19:31 to finish 35th.
In her first-ever collegiate cross country meet, sophomore Kjersti Housman, a 400-meter hurdle specialist for the Cougar track & field team, recorded a 20:53 to finish 103rd. Sophomore Jenny Landis rounded out the Cougars’ scoring 5 by finishing 105th with a 20:54.
Azusa Pacific takes 2 weeks off before returning to the “country” Sept. 16 when they head to San Diego to run in the Aztec Invitational hosted by San Diego State at famed Balboa Park.
