2015 VU Cross Country Online Media Guide

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY
MEN’S & WOMEN’S
CROSS COUNTRY
2015
MEDIA GUIDE
HEAD COACH CHRIS GAFNER
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY QUICK FACTS
Location: Vincennes, IN
Founded: 1801
Enrollment: 5,600
Nickname: Trailblazers
School Colors: Blue & Gold
Affiliation: National Junior College Athletic Association
Interim President: Chuck Johnson
Vice-President for Legislative & Financial Affairs: Phil Rath
Interim Provost: Laurel Smith
Assistant Provost for Student Affairs: Lynn White
Executive Director of External Relations: Kristi Deetz
Athletic Director: Harry Meeks
Athletic Secretary: Lesa Tucker
Athletic Trainer: Joe Haan
Sports Information Director: Troy Guthrie
VU Athletics Telephone Number: 812-888-4511
VU Athletics Fax Number: 812-888-5129
Web Site: govutrailblazers.com
Facebook: facebook.com/trailblazer.willie
Twitter: @VUBlazerSports
Head Cross Country Coach: Chris Gafner
(Siena Heights University 2001)
Phone: 812-888-5178 / E-Mail: cgafner@vinu.edu
Assistant Cross Country Coach: Les Martin
(Vincennes 1978)
Media Guide Credits: The Vinncennes University Cross Country Online Media Guide was produced
by the VU Sports Information Department. Photos courtesy of Doug Wise (special thanks to Doug),
Matt Griffith and Amber Nixon.
2015 VU CROSS COUNTRY ROSTER
WOMEN’S ROSTER
NAME
Wendy Catalan Breanna Gahagan Chloe Heller
Janeth Magana Kelly O’Shea Toni Waddell NAME
CL.
Fr
So
So
Fr
So
Fr
HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Indianapolis, IN/Pike
Noblesville, IN/Noblesville
Washington, IN/Washington
Indianapolis, IN/Pike
Valparaiso, IN/Wheeler
Mount Vernon, IN/Mount Vernon
MEN’S ROSTER
CL.
Joshua Backes So
Tre’ Bower Fr
Solomon Dillard-Reynard Fr
Nathan Dugger So
Eric Johnson So
Brayden Little Fr
Jaden Page Fr
Talen Taylor Fr
Adam Warren So
Coach Chris Gafner
Assistant Coach Les Martin
HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Evansville, IN/North
Ellettsville, IN/Edgewood
Martinsville, IN/Martinsville
Vincennes, IN/Lincoln
Jasonville, IN/Shakamak
Vincennes, IN/Lincoln
Wheatland, IN/South Knox
Vevay, IN/Switzerland County
Speedway, IN/Speedway
HEAD COACH CHRIS GAFNER
Coach Gafner enters his 10th season as head coach of the VU
men’s and women’s cross country programs. He also coaches the
Trailblazer men’s and women’s track & field programs, assuming both positions in March 2006 after three years as a VU assistant coach. Prior to his arrival at Vincennes, Coach Gafner was
an assistant at Lansing Community College. He also coached at
Mt.Vernon Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Since Coach Gafner took over the Trailblazer programs, VU
athletes have broken school records in more than 45 different
events. They have also garnered 18 national championships,
44 NJCAA All-American designations and placed nationally 138
times.
Coach Gafner has also led five
VU teams to compete in the
NJCAA National Cross Country
Championships. In 2011, both
the women’s and men’s program finished in the top 10 of
the NJCAA outdoor national championships for the first
time in school history. The women’s program finished
seventh and the men’s team was ninth.
In 2013, freshmen TaPring Goatee and Robert Murphy
led VU as Goatee finished fifth in the women’s race and
Murphy was 13th in the men’s race at the NJCAA Div. I
National Championships.
Goatee was named a First-Team NJCAA All-American and
Murphy earned Honorable-Mention NJCAA All-American
honors.
A 2001 graduate of Siena Heights University, he also attended Lansing Community College. During his college
career, Coach Gafner was a seven-time national qualifier
in track and a member of two national champion cross
country teams. He holds USATF Level I and II certifications. Coach Gafner resides in Vincennes with his wife Linzie, sons John and James and daughter Emma.
2015 SEASON MEETS/EVENTS
DATE
TIME MEET/EVENT LOCATION
Sept. 5
10 a.m.
Franklin College
Shelbyville, IN
Sept. 18
3:30 p.m.
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
Oct. 3
1 p.m.
Greater Louisville Classic
Louisville, KY
Oct. 17
11 a.m. (CST)
U. of Evansville Invitational
Evansville, IN
Oct. 31
12 p.m. (EST)
NJCAA Regional 12 Meet
Lansing, MI
Nov. 14
TBA
NJCAA National Championships
Fort Dodge, IA
Nov. 21
TBA
NJCAA Half-Marathon
Levelland, TX
ASSISTANT COACH LES MARTIN
Les Martin begins his first season with the VU Cross Country coaching
staff.
“Les will be a very valued addition to the program because he’s a
tremendous resource in so many ways besides helping at practices,”
VU Coach Chris Gafner said. “Along with everything else, he’ll help out
with manning study hall hours and just being there with our studentathletes to assist them in different areas of their lives.”
Martin also figures to put his stamp on the program in recruiting.
“I think that will really help us in seasons to come,” the coach said. “He
has helped us with track and we have had some incredible student-athletes as a result of his work, especially in the Indianapolis area because
of his experience coaching and the coaches he knows so well.”
Martin began his Trailblazer coaching tenure with last spring’s track &
field season, working with the middle-distance and distance runners.
A student at VU from 1976-78, he was the head track & field coach at
Brebeuf Jesuit Prep School in Indianapolis, IN; track & field and cross
country coach at Harshman Middle School in Indianapolis; track & field
and cross country coach at Arsenal Technical in Indianapolis and track
& field and cross country coach at George Washington High School in Indianapolis.
He Was also track & field and cross country coach at Crispus Attucks, Northwest, John Marshall and
Emmerich Manual high schools in Indianapolis over the years. In addition, Martin was formerly the
track & field meet director for the conference championship of Indianapolis Public Schools two years
and USATF youth chairperson for Indiana for two years.
Along with his coaching achievements, Martin has competed in seven marathons, including the Boston and New York marathons.
2015
VETERAN RUNNER
PROFILES
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
JOSHUA
BACKES
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: EVANSVILLE, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: NORTH
BACKES’ 2014 NJCAA NATIONAL MEET TIME:
27:49.27
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
NATHAN
DUGGER
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: VINCENNES, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: LINCOLN
DUGGER’S 2014 NJCAA NATIONAL MEET TIME:
DID NOT RUN
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
BREANNA
GAHAGAN
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: NOBLESVILLE, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: NOBLESVILLE
GAHAGAN’S 2014 NJCAA NATIONAL MEET TIME:
20:53.92
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
CHLOE
HELLER
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: WASHINGTON, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: WASHINGTON
DID NOT RUN IN 2014
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
ERIC
JOHNSON
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: JASONVILLE, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: SHAKAMAK
JOHNSON’S 2014 NJCAA NATIONAL MEET TIME:
DID NOT RUN
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
KELLY
O’SHEA
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: VALPARAISO, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: WHEELER
O’SHEA’S 2014 NJCAA NATIONAL MEET TIME:
19:45.30
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER VETERANS
ADAM
WARREN
SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: SPEEDWAY, IN
HIGH SCHOOL: SPEEDWAY
WARREN’S 2014 NJCAA NATIONAL MEET TIME:
28:41.59
MEET THE TRAILBLAZER NEWCOMERS
TRE’ BOWER
ELLETTSVILLE, IN
EDGEWOOD
WENDY CATALAN
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
PIKE
SOLOMON DILLARD-REYNARD
MARTINSVILLE, IN
MARTINSVILLE
BRAYDEN LITTLE
VINCENNES, IN
LINCOLN
JANETH MAGANA
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
PIKE
JADEN PAGE
WHEATLAND, IN
SOUTH KNOX
TALEN TAYLOR
VEVAY, IN
SWITZERLAND COUNTY
TONI WADDELL
MOUNT VERNON, IN
MOUNT VERNON
2015 SEASON OUTLOOK
As with many junior college sports,
the Vincennes University Cross Country
Team’s 2015 season is full of “unknowns”
and “ifs.” But VU Coach Chris Gafner believes the Trailblazers are also brimming with
potential for the upcoming campaign.
The Trailblazers are facing 2015 without the program’s two most prolific distance
runners in history, NJCAA All-Americans
Robert Murphy and TaPring Goatee, who
were at times borderline dominant performers in 2013 and ’14. But, with an infusion of
freshman talent and eight returners from
2014, the VU men and women figure to be an
interesting group as the season wears on,
Gafner said.
“So far, this group is meshing well
and working hard, and that’s a good sign,” he said. “We’re fairly healthy, which is another good thing. It’s hard to
tell how anyone will compete until the competition actually starts.
“We have a little bit of a lack of experience and that can take a toll early,” he added, “but I think, as the
season goes on and we gain that experience, I have to feel good about where this team is headed.”
Five first-year runners join men’s veterans Joshua Backes (Evansville, IN/North), Nathan Dugger (Vincennes, IN/Lincoln), Eric Johnson (Jasonville, IN/Shakamak), Ethan Sparks (Spencer, IN/Owen Valley) and Adam
Warren (Speedway, IN/Speedway), while three freshmen will combine with sophomores Kelly O’Shea (Valparaiso,
IN/Wheeler), Breanna Gahagan (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville) and Chloe Heller (Washington, IN/Washington) to
make up a small VU women’s contingent. Heller, who ran for the Trailblazers in the 2013 cross country season,
was added to the team late in August this year after deciding to run when she had initially declined to use her
remaining year of NJCAA cross country eligibility.
Gafner hopes the developing band of runners will seize “training” opportunities in the regular season to
perform like seasoned competitors at the right time, specifically the Region 12 and NJCAA National Cross Country meets. The veteran coach is seeing strong signs of VU runners possibly being in the thick of things when
those post-season dates arrive.
“Adam Warren is looking very strong right now; I think he is going to be set up for a very good second
year, and Kelly O’Shea looks very strong on the women’s side,” Gafner said. “Both of them put in a good block of
training and put in the miles over the summer and that will be to their benefit. We have a solid group of returners
on the men’s side and we have a couple of freshmen who will contribute to our top seven. It’s a cliché but we’ll
just try to keep getting better each time out.
Gafner also said Dugger had an excellent summer and Johnson has gotten past some injuries so he looks
like a strong contributor as well. If all goes as planned, Sparks will redshirt this season.
“On the women’s side, we have six solid runners right now,” he continued. “The issue is that we only have
six (female) runners right now. So, we have to stay healthy but the ladies we have are going to be strong competitors.”
Gafner said a couple of the members of the women’s team were late signees and missed out on some
training time but he has seen traits in the runners that give him confidence they can “catch up” by the region
meet.
“I really don’t think we have anyone on the teams right now who won’t put in the work,” he said. “It’s just a
matter of, when you get to that first meet, who will have the mentality that’s needed to compete. We’ll find out.”
The 2015 edition of VU Cross Country will certainly have a different team-wise approach. Over the past
two seasons, the Trailblazers looked to Murphy and Goatee to pave the way in each race. This season, it could be
anyone’s day to shine brightest. Gafner said he envisions more variety in the front of the pack for VU this season.
THIS IS VU: A CLOSER LOOK
History: VU is now embarking on its third century
of providing top quality education. VU is Indiana’s first
college and is one of the oldest in America. It is the
birthplace of one of the nation’s first two-year institutions of higher learning.
Founded in 1801 and incorporated as Vincennes University November 29, 1806, VU is one of only two U.S.
colleges founded by a President of the United States.
William Henry Harrison founded VU and Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia.
Situated on the banks of the Wabash River, the 160acre VU campus includes more than 30 modern
buildings featuring red-brick construction consistent
with the first campus building, the 1803 home of VU’s
founder, William Henry Harrison. The Harrison mansion is open for tours. The campus also features
red-brick walkways, abundant landscaping, and easy
access to the legendary Wabash River and the George
Rogers Clark National Historical Park.
Vincennes is about 120 miles southwest of Indianapolis at the junction of U.S. highways 41, midway between the cities of Evansville and Terre Haute.
Accreditation: VU is accredited by The Higher
Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. VU maintains its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission through the Academic Quality Improvement
Program process.
VU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission
and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
VU Mission: VU, Indiana’s first
college, is the State’s premier transfer
institution and leader in innovative career programming. The VU community
ensures educational access, delivers
proven associate and baccalaureate
programs, and offers cultural opportunities and community services in a
diverse, student-centered, collegiate
environment.
The VU Mission Statement was revised
in 2005 by a committee which gathered
input from the VU community as well
as examining the roles of the University.
VU Vision:
VU is a premier learning institution, widely recognized for
leadership in innovation and delivery
of successful educational experiences.
A broad range of program offerings
and a commitment to superior service ensure the University’s role as an important link in Indiana’s economic and
cultural vitality. VU is a diverse community whose members all share responsibility for supporting the University
mission and are respected for their contributions.
NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In
May 1938, representatives from
area institutions of higher learning
gathered in Fresno, CA, to form a
unique collegiate athletic organization dedicated to America’s community and junior colleges.
The meeting led to the adoption of
a constitution and a new organization: the National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Seventy-six years later, the NJCAA is now the second-largest
national intercollegiate athletic governing body in the United
States, with over 500 member colleges in 43 states.
Recognized as the leader in two-year collegiate athletics, the
NJCAA champions both athletic and academic opportunities
for student-athletes in concert with its member colleges.
Follow the NJCAA on:
NJCAA TV: www.njcaatv.ihigh.com
Facebook: facebook.com/njcaa
Twitter: twitter.com/njcaa or @njcaa
ABOUT the NJCAA:
The National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA) is
the governing body of two-year
college athletics, offering athletic and academic opportunities to college students. It is the
second largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in
the United States with over 500
member schools in 43 states.
Each year over 60,000 studentathletes compete in one of 28
different sports and the organization sponsors 48 national
championship events and nine
football bowl games.
Media Information: www.njcaa.org
NJCAA information regarding all sports and related items is available on
the NJCAA web site. The site contains updated statistics and results for
NJCAA member institutions’ athletic programs.
The Trailblazers & the Vincennes University Alumni Office
invite all alums to stay connected by joining our online
communities:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/trailblazer.willie
Twitter:
@VUBlazerSports
Web Site:
www.govutrailblazers.com
Stay Connected !
1002 N. First St., Vincennes, IN 47591
www.govutrailblazers.com