Aug. 31, 2006

The University of Texas-Pan American women's cross country team enters the 2006 campaign with plenty of depth and experience, but the cohesive unit will rely on teamwork to carry them through the upcoming season.

The Lady Broncs' squad is the most experienced team that Ricky Vaughn has had in his five seasons as head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach.

"They work well together as a group. There has always been a pretty tight pack between that team since the beginning of their freshmen year. Each year they've gotten better and better so if we make that natural progression, I think as a team we're going to be very solid," said Vaughn.

The group of six senior runners includes Deanah Chavez (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg H.S.), Lizet Garcia (McAllen, TX/McAllen H.S.), Lorraine Garcia (Laredo, TX/Nixon H.S.), Karla Hernandez (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg H.S.), Ashley Perez (Falfurrias, TX/Falfurrias H.S.) and Sharon Toroitich (Eldama-Ravin, Kenya/Butler C.C.). The Lady Bronc six-shooters will lead by example and prepare the younger runners for the season ahead.

Hernandez is the leader of that group of Lady Broncs, and the Rio Grande Valley product will be looking to build on a successful 2006 indoor and outdoor track and field season where she posted seven top-five finishes.

Hernandez posted her best finish at the Texas Lutheran Invitational in 2005 when she placed seventh in the 6,000-meter race and continues to improve each year as she matures and becomes a leader on a team of experienced runners.

"Karla has always been one of our team leaders and has always run pretty well. I believe that the speed aspect of track will help her cross country this season. It's a full cycle of how she trains year round, cross country benefits the track season and track benefits the cross country season," said Vaughn.

In the mix of seniors is a young class of runners that will learn from their leadership and experience. Sophomores Shardae Bey (Houston, TX/Elsik H.S.), Rose Escovedo (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North H.S.), Sonya Rivera (Brownsville, TX/Hanna H.S.), Sara Rodriguez (Pharr, TX/Valley View H.S.) and Vanessa Rodriguez (Harlingen, TX/Harlingen H.S.) will look to build upon their freshman season and follow in the footsteps of their teammates.

The addition of freshman Carolina Izaguirre (Brownsville, TX/Hanna H.S.) will bring more youth to the relatively veteran team, and the UTPA newcomer will show promise for the future of women's cross country at UTPA.

"I think Carolina is going to be a very solid runner, and we're pretty anxious to see what she can do her first year," added Vaughn.

The women's team will rely on their strength in numbers as the veteran pack continues to compete with the top teams in the region as they gear-up for the South Central Regional competition mid-November in Waco, TX.

"Cross country is a team sport, and it's all about your team finish," said Vaughn. "Ever since I've been here we've stressed that, and that's what we will continue to work on. It's all about the team and not the individual."

The UTPA women's cross country team has a solid core of experienced runners, and the Lady Broncs believe that the Power of the Pack is important to their success than the power of a single performance.

In the end, it all comes down to teamwork.

UTPA Sports Information