Usually a cross country coach doesn’t use the words “freshman” and “consistent” in the same sentence when talking about his or her top two runners.
But Hutchinson Community College freshmen Maria Fernandez and Diosha Johnson are an exception to that rule and Lady Dragon head cross country coach Dave Smith describes his two freshmen runners often as being consistent.
Smith will watch Fernandez, Johnson and the rest of his freshmen-laden team on Saturday at the NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Hobbs, N.M.
In each of Hutchinson’s eight races in 2011, Fernandez (Burrton) and Johnson (Hutchinson) have finished as the team’s first and second runners.
“The reason they have been so consistent is that they are so business-like,” Smith said. “Both do what it takes to be successful. They haven’t had any real letdowns and that says something about their consistency.”
HCC women’s team has been led by freshmen all season. The Lady Dragons started the season ranked in the national polls, but slipped out after the second race of the season at Friends University.
Through it all, race after race, practice mile after practice miles, Fernandez and Johnson were leading the charge.
“We did have a lot of freshmen compared to other teams and our first couple of meets, we did alright,” Fernandez said. “Once we got to the 5Ks, it got harder and we had some injuries, but they pushed through it and we all stayed together.”
“We progressively got better,” Johnson added. “Or best race was at our regional meet.”
The 2011 Region VI championships were at the challenging Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, a course where comparative times with other races wouldn’t justify the quality of race a team or individual ran.
But Smith said his women’s team “exceeded expectations). Hutchinson finished fifth in the region and impressively was second in the Jayhawk Conference Western Division standings. Fernandez earned all-conference honors finishing seventh and just missed all-regional honors with a 16th-place showing.
The week leading into regionals was the week both Fernandez and Johnson point to as a turning point to the 2011 season.
“(Going to nationals) was what we had set in our minds,” Johnson said. “We pushed ourselves really hard. The girls who were running at the bottom of the pack, were up with the front runners.”
“We were set for one thing in our minds,” added Fernandez, “that was going to nationals).”
While HCC’s top two runners set the pace, the reason for the strong finish at regionals – HCC beat Garden City on its home course for second place in the West – was the performance of runners three through five.
Shanna Prescott (Larned), Rebekah Sweet (Wamego) and Amber Boos (Onaga) finished together to carry the Lady Dragons to that strong finish.
But what of the duel at the top of the Lady Dragon running order? Fernandez first, Johnson second.
There have been times were Fernandez has been in front by several seconds and then there was Emporia where Johnson was just a little more than 2 seconds off her teammates’ heals.
“I would really like to beat Maria,” Johnson said. “She pushes me and I push her. I just try to stay up in the top two.”
Added Fernandez: “If anybody is going to beat me, I want it to be one of my girls.”