The team will race with a heavy heart this season, as they mourn the loss of longtime head cross country and track and field coach Zach Kindler who died on the night of Aug. 4, 2014 of a sudden medical emergency and is greatly missed by the University.
Tim Byers, who was hired by Coach Kindler this past summer to serve as the full-time assistant cross country and track and field coach, is now the interim head coach of both programs and will look to the lead the program to success in 2014.
Last year's senior class of Lauren Jaqua, Megan Rosa, Ashley McBride and Jenna Stanbrough captured the Heart of America Athletic Conference women's cross Country championships in 2010 and 2013 and earned spots at the NAIA national championships.
Jaqua became one of the most decorated runners at Baker, winning the HAAC individual championship crown in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The two seniors competing for the Wildcats this season are Kerry Kurta and Aadrian McCollum. This will mark the second straight year that Kurta will make the drive to Baldwin to train with the team. The Baker School of Nursing student is working on her nursing degree in Topeka. She competed in the national championship meet in 2013 along with the rest of her team at Lawrence's Rim Rock Farm, helping lead the team to a 17th-place finish and individual placing of 19:46.
The group of sophomores will consist of Amanda Moody, Jillian Benson, Rachael Ash and Shelby Stephens. Ash, Benson and Stephens also ran at the NAIA national championship a year ago.
The men's squad will consist of seniors Andrew Heim and Vincent Tadokoro, but will likely be led in competition by sophomores Andrew Dare, Andrew Emmanuels, Jamie Sturery, Carter Breithaupt and Corey Matteson.
Baker captured the HAAC men's cross country championship title in 2011 and 2012, but finished a disappointing fourth in the 2013 conference championship meet.
The rosters include five new freshmen on the women's side and six newcomers on the men's side.
They will open at the annual Maple Leaf Invitational hosted by the Wildcats at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Baldwin City Golf Course.
The event will also honor coach Kindler and his family who will be present at the meet. The day will begin with a welcome and a group prayer with the Kindler's along with the national anthem. The women's race will begin at 10 a.m. and the men's race will start at 10:30 a.m.
An awards ceremony and recognition of Coach Kindler will begin at approximately 11 a.m.
On Sept. 20 BU will travel to Joplin, Mo., for the Missouri Southern Stampede, then will take on not only NAIA competition but some of the best teams in the country at the Chile Pepper Festival hosted by NCAA Division I University of Arkansas on Oct. 4.
Baker will make the short trek to Lawrence, Kan., on Oct. 11 to compete at the Pre-Nationals meet at Rim Rock Farm, which again will host the 2014 NAIA Men's and Women's Cross Country National Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The final meet of the regular season will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Mid-States Classic in Winfield, Kan., before the HAAC Championship meet on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Auburn, Neb., hosted by Peru State College for the first time ever.
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