Pierce, SBU Hope to Qualify for Nationals

By David Boyce

In the last few yards of the MIAA cross country championships on Oct. 24, Southwest Baptist senior Michael Pierce mentally slowed down to enjoy the moment.

Pierce, a graduate of Oak Park High School in Gladstone, Mo., was comfortably ahead in his last conference meet. He was finally going to achieve a goal of finishing first in the MIAA championship meet.

"I wanted to take it in and soak everything in," Pierce said. "It was my last chance to do it."

Pierce won in style. His time of 24:35.23 in the 8K race was nine seconds better than the second-place finisher and the second-fastest time ever at the Jones Park course in Emporia.

His time was also the fastest in the conference championship meet since 1992.

"It was something I was looking forward to for four years," Pierce said. "I knew it would be special, not just for me, but for SBU program, also."

As thrilled as Pierce was about the individual accomplishment, he's even more enthused talking about the overall team.

Of course, Pierce wants to win Saturday at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Abilene, Texas. But he's much more concerned with helping the Bearcats finish in the top three to advance to the Division II national meet Nov. 21 in Evansville, Ind.

"I love cross country so much more than track because the guys on the team make the atmosphere so good," Pierce said. "It makes running a lot of fun here."

Teamwork is the trait coach Corey McElhaney has preached to the team since he took over the program in 2007.

With seniors like Pierce, Jeremy Glassmaker and Shawn Etzenhouser, it's been an easy point for McElhaney to get across.

It starts with instant respect from both sides. Pierce said McElhaney has helped him a lot. He listens. He knows when Pierce is feeling good enough to extend workouts and when he's not so he can pull back.

Pierce appreciates it, but there's more.

"He's got great character and a good Christian personality," Pierce said of McElhaney.

In return, McElhaney said Pierce is the best athlete he has coached. Pierce is irreplaceable. And yet, there is one quality in Pierce that stands above his athletic gifts.

"The biggest thing about him is he glorifies God. That's the most impressive thing about him," McElhaney said.

Anybody who is familiar with Southwest Baptist knows that religion plays a significant part in the student-athlete daily life.

But the Bearcats aren't heading to Abilene, Texas believing they are going to finish in the top three because God is on their side.

Southwest Baptist is banking on teamwork and hard work to lift the team into the top three. The Bearcats are ranked fourth in their region and realize they need to be on top of their game to advance.

"We have a good shot of going to nationals," Pierce said. "We know it will be tough, but we know we can do it."

The thing that McElhaney likes about his team is the way the seniors have pushed the younger runners by leading by example.

At the MIAA championships, Glassmaker took fourth and Etzenhouser took eighth. Seniors Cameron Ayers and Michael McCampbell took 21^st and 22^nd followed by sophomore Will Hansen in 23^rd and freshman Phillip Miller in 24^th.

"We have a pretty good group of seniors," McElhaney said. "They have motivated and inspired the freshmen.

"We have had a couple of freshmen who have really stepped up and the seniors have helped to fuel that desire in them. Having a lot of top runners like that, it is easier to train and push them harder in practice."

Just like the MIAA meet in which Southwest Baptist finished third, the regional meet will be equally close.

"Our goal right now is to get top three," McElhaney said. "Truthfully, I think the championship is up for grabs with four or five teams. It could be an interesting race just like conference was."

Whatever takes place, McElhaney knows this has been a special season just by how coachable this group has been.

"The team believes in me and trusts me," he said. "They never second guess anything I say. You can tell they really enjoy the team atmosphere. It is just a group of guys who likes to go out there every day and work hard.

"This is the best team SBU has ever had, hands down. But they don't show that. They are very humble."

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.