Green Forest Eyeing Cross Country Repeat

So much for being an expansion team. The Green Forest Lady Tigers' cross country team certainly didn't perform much like a first-year program at all last fall. Instead, the team strolled along like seasoned veterans all throughout 2007 while ultimately claiming the coveted Class AAA State Championship. In 2008, it seems as though second-year coach Doug Owensby's talented Lady Tigers are primed and ready to make a legitimate run at back-to-back titles behind the talented triumvirate of seniors Maranda Dickinson, Whitney McCoy and Neisha Ball. Owensby is more than just a little bit optimistic that his star-studded trio of runners are capable of topping their solid performances at the '07 state meet. "I personally think our top three girls (Dickinson, McCoy and Ball) are going to finish a little higher (than last year's 4th, 8th and 10th spots)," he said. "All three of them could easily be in the top five. They are that good." Individually, each of these three young ladies has unique attributes that Owensby appreciates a great deal. "Maranda has so much talent and speed," he said. "She's just very athletic and very fast. "Whitney may be the most all-around (with combination of skills), because she has the speed and endurance. Neisha is not a speedster, but she' run a hard pace from start to finish." Dickinson, McCoy and Ball get a lot of attention and deservedly so. At the same time, though, there are apparently several other Lady Tigers team members capable of holding their own and then some as well. In particular, Owensby sited senior Beth Campbell, junior Carley Arnold and sophomore Yennifer Lopez as being likely possibilities to help bolster Green Forest's chances of repeating as AAA champs. "Our fourth and fifth (runners) should be right there (in the state meet next month), and probably finish somewhere between 10th and 15th," he said. Considering they've only been competing in this sport less than two full years, it might seem rather surprising how quickly Green Forest has vaulted to championship caliber form. But, then again, it wasn't like there was a lack of athletic ability here. "They knew they had raw talent," Owensby explained. "Most of them had never run cross country. But, they did have track here (at Green Forest). "I just sold it to them. I told them (at the start of last year) that I'd be able to tell them where they were and where they would be. They realized after we won our first meet that we could be good. Then we won our second meet. The next thing you know, we were winning every meet." Along with getting accustomed to Owensby's approach to practices before and during the season, there were a couple of other key components that were factors in Green Forest's quick ascent. "They had to be taught how to run the race and learn the actual strategy," Owensby said. "They started buying into it and they got a lot of confidence." As if they really need any additional incentive, helping Dickinson, McCoy and Ball finish their prep careers as two-time champs is definitely a goal. "What I've tried to sell this year is that I want my seniors to go out on top as winners," Owensby assured. Whether he's really much of a salesman or not, Owensby probably had a fairly easy time convincing his '08 group how sweet it will be to send Dickinson, McCoy and Ball, along with Campbell too, out in grand fashion. And, don't be too surprised if they do just that.