COLLEGE COURSE: Coyotes Cross Country
I chatted with Cal State San Bernardino cross country coach Tom Burleson last week. I was seeking comment on the upcoming 2011 Fall sports season and as usual, came away with way more than I could use.
Here’s most, if not all, of the rest of our conversation.
Q: What kind of season are you expecting?
A: “I don’t like to project. We should have been in the top three (at the CCAA championships) but we were sixth. We want to be a top three team. We’re going to be very competitive. We’ll be able to race with anybody. My goals are to be a top three team. We’re always trying to make nationals. We’re always striving for that but we’re really, really young. I have all underclassmen so the next couple of years we’re going to be good.”
Q: What competitions are most critical?
A: “(UC) Riverside is always a good meet. That’s a course we usually get PRs on. Since we have no home meets this year so Riverside is real pivotal. We’ll be holding (senior Academic All-America) Katherine Gomes out. She was injured in June and she’s still not in racing shape so team won’t be at full strength. We’re going to let her come back slowly. But she’ll be right there at the end of the season.”
Q: If you’re the top team in the CCAA, who are No. 2?
A: “The way our schedule breaks down, we’ll get to see most of them (CCAA South Division teams) in the first two weeks. We won’t see nobody from up north until conference. Cal Poly Pomona is really good. They’ll be right there. The rest are all track schools. We e don’t have track. People always tell me that if you had track we’d be better. But hey we’re good anyway.”
Q: I haven’t even mentioned Samantha Borman, who was your team’s top finish at the NCAA West Region meet. How does she fit into your team?
A: “Sam’s actually left the area and dropped out of school. She’s not competing this year but it wasn’t anything that had to do with us. She had some personal issues with her family.”
CSUSB has long been a place for emerging local runners to find a collegiate home, and this year will be no different. Burleson counts 11 of his 12 runners from Riverside or San Bernardino counties. Visit the Coyotes Cross Country site here.
I think I might liked to have had Burleson as a running coach. I first reached him while he shopped for groceries, and later, after I called him back, he thoughtfully answered each and every one of my questions.
Solid guy. Good coach. Not-So-Secret shopper?
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 