Cross country eyes nationals
Jeff Moses
After what head coach Eamonn Condon described as “a rebuilding year,” last year, Mesa Community College’s cross-country team is back on the track looking to win at the highest level: the national level.
“I expect both (men’s and women’s) teams to have top-ten finishes at nationals, they’ve got the talent,” said Condon as he enters his fifth year at the helm of the Thunderbird cross-country team.
Condon is no stranger to national competition himself being a former participant in the Irish National Championships in his younger years.
Condon is looking to his six returning sophomore runners to lead the younger runners to victory in 2012.
Both of the captains are sophomores Kerry Canberg for women’s, and Eddie Martinez for men’s.
“Eddie looks like he has improved a lot since last year,” said Condon of his male captain, while the 42-year-old Canberg described herself as “not your typical student, or athlete.”
“My goal is to win nationals personally, and place at nationals as a team,” said Canberg, who missed the 2012 Olympic trials by only 90 seconds.
To go along with her NJCC expectations, Canberg is planning on making the Olympic trials in 2016.
“There is a lot of potential on this team, and I am hoping to guide, lead, motivate and inspire all of the girls,” said Canberg.
On the men’s side, Condon is looking to a new friend from an old family to provide the rumble for his Thunderbirds.
Eduardo Roa, the freshman younger brother to MCC record holder Carlos Roa will be picking up a lot of the slack for the male T-Birds.
“He’ll (Eduardo) will probably break my records,” said former Thunderbird men’s cross-country captain Carlos Roa.
“He’s already beat my high school records,” said Carlos, whose brother exited Mclintock High School as an Ariz. State champion.
Another athlete coach Condon is excited to have back is female runner Taylor Stewart who the previous year took eighth place nationally in the Steeplechase.
Condon has his T-Birds training hard having his team convene at 5:30 a.m. to prepare to face not only the best community college runners in the nation, but also some of the best in the world.
