Clermont, Fla. – With their inaugural season behind them, the Lake-Sumter State College Cross Country teams are looking to make a statement in their sophomore season.
Building off of an extremely successful 2019 campaign, William Troupe and Alexander Croy headline the men's roster in 2020. Both runners competed in Albuquerque, NM last November at the NJCAA National Championships. With 343 runners at Nationals, Croy finished 93rd with Troupe coming in at 111. Both runners will be looking for another opportunity on the national stage this season.
Adolfo Saucedo Flores, Jolicaisse Guzman, Ernesto Velasquez and Nicholas Atkinson join Croy and Troupe as the team's sophomore core. Newcomers include Fernando Guevara, Gryphon Lanahan, Aaron Gomez and Kenneth Jackson.
"The hard work and training key members did this summer will give us every opportunity to progress this season with our goal being to qualify for Nationals," said Head Coach, Cristy Snellgroves. "They continue to push and motivate each other every day on the course."
Kyja Williams is viewed as one of the top returners on the women's side. Williams continued to get better each event last year, breaking her personal best times in her final two races. Chloe Grozdanich along with Isabel Panganiban round out the sophomore class this year. They are joined by freshman Tori Bell, Michelle Dudley and Ketchma Gomez.
"The bond this team has formed with each other is incredible," Snellgroves said. "The growth we have seen in their confidence level has been impressive. I cannot wait to see that change empower these young ladies and push them to heights they didn't know existed before. On and off the course!"
Both the men's and women's teams will get started Friday Sept. 4 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in Ocala, Fla. "We think this is going to be a very competitive meet for us and allow us to set some bench marks and goals for our runners to strive for throughout the season," Snellgroves said.
When asked about being the only sport at LSSC actively participating in an NJCAA Championship season, Snellgroves said, "During these difficult times, we are grateful to be able to continue to train and compete and are excited to continue the legacy of sports established at Lake-Sumter."