FALL PREVIEW: Park Hill Girls Cross Country

Sometimes less is more. That’s what Park Hill girls cross country coach Jason Parr is hoping as his team heads into the 2012 season. Despite only having a little more than 20 girls on the team, Parr believes he’s seen more dedication and commitment coming into this year compared to some of his bigger teams of the past.

“The focus has been totally different this year, it’s kind of been fun because I’ve got girls who are telling me they want to work this year,” Parr said. “We don’t have a lot of girls this year, maybe 20 or 21, but they’re ready to contribute.”

Returning for Park Hill and leading the way is two-time state qualifier junior Kim Rau who will be joined by sophomore Mercedes Robinson. Both had successful track seasons in the spring and kept the momentum going through the summer, as did a number of the girls who will make up the core of this year’s team including Gianna Tutorino, Brooke Bischof, Madeline Mudd, Emma Gaiser, Libby Lund, and number of other young runners.

Now in his third year, Parr says he spent the summer with his team focusing in on how to fulfill what has the potential to be a very talented team.

“We’re kind of reprocessing and re-evaluating everything, and kind of starting over again. We had a great track season and over the summer re-thought everything we do,” Parr said. “We established contact day requirements meaning they had to make 18 days to run a meet. We ended up having some of the best summer miles that we’ve ever had.”

Along with the new energy and approach has come a new attitude, one which is comfortably confident and business-like.

“I’d say the attitude this year is calm. Our girls come, work, don’t say much, and really go about their business. They’re a close bunch,” Parr said. “We’re really looking to whoever says I’m going to commit to this and ready to do this. They’re the ones who are going to get the job done.”

Park Hill starts the season off at the Liberty Invitational on September 1st, but the KC Metro Classic at the end of the month is what Parr believes will be a good tool to judge the Trojans’ progress leading into the conference and district meets.

“A good meet is always KC Metro. It’s a flat, fast course that can help up evaluate half-way through the season,” Parr said. “Our goal is to always get as many girls to the state meet. It’s just something we work for and that’s something the girls look to.”