j Inexperience began as the watchword for the 1981 Harding Men's cross coun· try squad. With four all·conference per· formers graduated from the 1980 team that won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference championship and finished tenth in the nation, only two proven runners returned to make a bid for the eleventh AIC title in a row. Still, with good recruiting and the outstanding improvement of several middle distance men, the Bison harriers managed to take the conference crown in fine fashion. Leadership loomed an early problem as only Carter Lambert and Joe Q'Conor returned to direct the corps. Lambert, an All-American in indoor track and runner-up behind three time conference champion Richard Teixeira in 1980, was the most experienced. O'Conor, a military veteran, was twice on the All292· Men's Cross Country Young Squad Captures Eleventh Crown Ale team and came into his junior season with expectations of leading his comrades. "Last year's team was probably the best we've had at Harding. I know it was the best I've had since I've been here," Coach Ted Lloyd said. "This year we're going to have to rely on all of the men to take up the slack." Victories and high marks prevailed throughout the year as the team steadily geared their work toward the conference meet. Wins at Ouachita Baptist University in a quadrangular meet and at the Arkansas Tech Invitational proved to be morale builders while fine performances in the Bison Booster Invitational , the Washington University Invitational and the Notre Dame Invitational meets helped in the aspect of running against outstanding competition. Finally, the NAIA District 17·AIC championship meet arrived and Lloyd became aware of the tighter competition his team was about to face than in years past. "This could be the year for a very well·balanced meet," Lloyd said. "UA· Monticello and UCA are expected to have good teams; and it could be a real exciting competition." Lambert picked up where Teixeira left off as he captured the top position in the meet with a time of 25:58 over the roll· ing five-mile course stretched over the Bald Knob Country Club. Add to those pOints the ones earned by O'Conor's sixth place time of 26:41, Jeff Westover's eighth place time of 27:18, Steve Hubbard's ninth place time of 27:21 and Mitch McCohn's 18th place time of 28:05 and the Bisons outdistanc· ed their opponents enough to win the meet . UA·Monticello was the nearest to the Bisons, with 66 points compared to Harding's 42. Next came the NAIA national meet, held at Kenosha, Wisconsin. Lambert led the Bisons to a 28th place finish with an individual performance of 26:55 and 76th place. Q'Conor was the second Bison to cross the finish line, placing 125th. Lloyd seemed pleased although the performance wasn't the team's best. "From'where we started at the first of the season, we did exceptionally well," Lloyd said. "I believe, however, that we did not fun as well as we were capable of. For most of our boys, this was their first time in the national meet. and that perhaps was a factor." For their performances in the AIC and NAIA District 17 meet, four Bisons were named to the AII·AIC and AII·NAIA District 17 teams. They were Lambert, Q'Conor, Westover and Hubbard. Lloyd was also honored by both as Coach of the Year. ~ 1. BISON HARRIER Jeff Westover sels the pace at the AIC-NAtA District 17 champion· ship meet. 2. FRESHMAN Ken Berry, pressing forward in a determined fashion, sels his steps at a steady pace. J. CROSS COUNTRY TEAM. Front row; Berry Alderdice, Hubbard, Fitzger· ald. Middle row: Perry· Trainer, AlstonManager, McCohn, Lambert, Harris, O'Conor, Back row: Boyle-Coach, Crowe, Adams, Westover, Woodell, Sitton, Lloyd-Coach. • - Courtesy of Publicity Office
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