SPRINGDALE — Brett Unger expects the 7A-West Cross County Conference Meet to be a stepping stone for his Springdale Har-Ber teams. Because in Unger’s mind and the mind of the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats, a sharp performance at this week’s meet is key to the season’s ultimate goal which still lies ahead.
“From the time we’ve come together as a team in the summer, Nov. 5 (the state meet) has been the goal,” Unger said. “The state meet is the main goal, but the conference meet is a big step for us.”
While Unger knows the state meet will provide the top competition for his teams, he expects the conference meet to be a great warmup.
“Some of the best runners in the state come from our conference,” Unger said. “So this will be a great test.”
On the girls side, the Lady Wildcats will look for a bounce back performance from Valerie Reina after she had a personal disappointing performance at the Chile Pepper Invitational. Along with Reina, Taylor Martin has shown improvement all season long, Unger said.
For the Wildcats, senior Quinn Robertson will lead the way at conference, with Dino Andrade and Luke Hanson adding depth.
“I think on both sides we’re poised to do the best we’ve done in the history of Har-Ber,” Unger said. “So we’re expecting big things at the conference meet.”