A new era is taking place for the FGCU men’s and women’s cross-country teams. After the Eagles finished 7th out of 11 teams in the 2023 ASUN Cross Country Championship, they look for a change of scenery going into the 2024 season.
The first iteration of this change came with the hiring of alumnus Argeo Cruz on Jan. 22. Cruz was previously the Assistant Cross Country Coach at FGCU from 2014 to 2021. He took over for his former head coach and colleague, Cassandra Goodson, after her 17 years of coaching cross country at FGCU.
Cruz holds many records for FGCU, setting the 5K, 8K and 10K records during his four years as an Eagle from 2010-14. He also holds numerous ASUN Honors, having been named to the ASUN All-Freshman, All-Academic and All-Conference teams during that time. He looks to translate his success as a player and utilize it in his teachings as a coach.
“Now that this opportunity opened up, it is exciting for me to just be back at FGCU,” said Cruz. “I feel proud to be part of this athletic program just because they gave me an opportunity from day one.”
Three Eagles departed the team after the 2023 season. Graduate student Bus Baker ended his collegiate career in the green and blue as he ran out of NCAA eligibility. Sophomore Israel Gamez and freshman Hudson Jessep transferred out of FGCU. Freshmen Hector Toro and Dylan Torres filled the vacant spots.
Similar to the men’s team, the women’s cross-country team did not see many departures. Freshmen Emma Wilson and Palomla Goldsmith were the only departures, as they both transferred. To fill these holes, Cruz recruited freshmen Haley Berganand and Addison Torres.
FGCU will travel to four different venues in preparation for the 2024 ASUN Cross Country Championships in Deland. They enter this season with experience running at two meets: the FAU Invitational and the FSU Pre Regional Meet.
The Eagles start their season at the FAU Invitational in Boca Raton on Aug. 30. Last season, both teams had successful meets. The men’s cross-country team finished third overall, with three runners, graduate students Abel Ramos, Bramwell Havi, and Franklin Caceres, finishing inside the top ten. The women’s cross-country team finished sixth overall, with Piers leading the flock and finishing third.
The FSU Pre Regional Meet in Tallahassee on Sep. 27 is the third event on the schedule. Last season, the Eagles had mixed success at this meet. The men’s cross-country team finished eighth overall out of the 32 schools entered. Havi was their best runner, leading the charge by finishing sixth. Unfortunately, the women’s cross-country team did not have the same luck. They finished 16th out of the 35 schools entered, with no runners finishing inside the top 15.
Two new venues are on the cross-country schedules: The Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, hosted by Jacksonville State University on Sep. 13, and the Holloway Park Twilight in Lakeland, hosted by Florida Southern College on Oct. 18. Both teams look to use these meets to prepare for the postseason.
Postseason competition begins on Nov. 2 in Deland for the 2024 ASUN Cross Country Championship. The Eagles are looking for better luck in conference competition, as they have been in the latter half of championship results over the past few years.
A successful season can translate into many players having deep runs in NCAA postseason play. Their journey starts at the NCAA Southern Regionals on Nov. 15 in Tallahassee. Last year, Havi broke FGCU’s 10K record with a time of 30:38.8. Cruz held the record for ten years while he was a runner for the Eagles. They look to replicate this success next year and move a runner past the regional state for the first time in FGCU history.
“The environment, a good support group that we have between the staff, and working with the student-athletes,” said Cruz. “They’re motivated. Being around them makes me want to do my best on a day-to-day basis.”
