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The national attention and high expectations for the 2006 Pipers comes in the wake of a season unlike any other. The Pipers finished the 2005 season with 32 points and won their first MIAC Championship since 1977. Jeff Metzdorff, Travis Bristow, Brandon Gleason, Tony Klappa, Dan Steinbrecker, and Chris Lutz finished All Conference in 2005 and Coach Schmaedeke was named Coach of the Year in the MIAC.

Despite the praise and attention focused on the team this year, Schmaedeke and his runners are not letting anything go to their heads.

“The rankings mean very little. No one has really competed. It’s based on what you did last year and how many people you have returning. It doesn’t take into consideration what your people have done over the summer and there is no way for them to consider that,” said Schmaedeke in an interview last week.

A committee of coaches decides the results of the poll and the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) posts a weekly top 35 poll during the cross country season. As the USTFCCCA pointed out, the Pipers have a lot to look forward to in 2006 and have a lot going for them. Hamline has eight of their top nine runners returning this season and six of the top 18 runners in the MIAC from last year. The only graduate from that group of runners was team leader Jeff Metzdorff, but this year’s team has great potential to surpass even last season’s results.

“We can be better than we were a year ago,” Schmaedeke said of his runners. The team is in relatively good health and that’s going to be key to any success. “The most successful teams are the healthiest teams,” he added.

Without taking any credit away from the Piper runners, pre-season is just that: before the season. The Pipers are already ranked ahead of last season’s national champions and Pipers are one of only three MIAC schools to be ranked. Carleton is ranked 26th and St. John’s University is ranked slightly lower at 30th.

The Pipers and their coach seem capable of handling the exposure that a talented team brings upon themselves. They aren’t too concerned with pre-season and are looking forward to competing when the season starts. “We have to do it in November,” said Schmaedeke.

Last year wasn’t just great for cross country but was great for many teams in Hamline’s Athletic department. Slowly but surely, the reputation of Hamline Athletics is changing for the better. This year, Hamline has a cross country team that they can expect big things from, and if the team stays healthy, they should compete in November when the championship meet is held.