The Lions and Lady Lions finished 11th and nineth, respectively, at the 2015 Southland Conference Championships. 

Senior Harry Wiggins and the rest of Southeastern’s Cross Country team return this fall in hopes of leading the Lions and Lady Lions deeper into the postseason in years past.

The Lions and Lady Lions both started out strong last season, winning multiple meets. The men took home first place finishes at both the UNO Relays and Wolfpack Invitational. Both teams came up short at the Southland Conference Championships, with the Lions and Lady Lions finishing eleventh and nineth, respectively.

Wiggins joined the team in 2012 and has built a reputation for himself as a leader for the Lions since. Coming out of Prairieville, Liouisiana, Wiggins has continued to lead the pack for the men of the cross-counrty team. With the upcoming season being his last, Wiggins has taken a more serious approach than in past years.

“There is a little more pressure, definitely. I am running  little more mileage than I usually do,” said Wiggins.

Over on the women’s side, Celia Zaeringer impressed for the Lady Lions last season, but will not be returning to the team this year. Sophomore Haley Gregoire will look to lead a team that features severeal new faces with hopes of leading the young team.

Head coach Sean Brady was confident on the incoming freshmen, joining the Lady Lions.

“Amber Ferguson is an incoming freshman from Denham Springs who has a lot of upside and is a very energetic young lady,” said Brady. “Hayley Leonard is an incoming freshman from Poway High School in San Diego, California. She will bring a great attitude to our team and will be a contributor to our cross-country team as a freshman.”

The men’s team also has two incoming freshmen, Salem Morelli and Tahj Lewis, who will add to the depth of the team.

“Morelli is an incoming freshman who just started running his senior year at Slidell High School and made huge improvements over the four months of the HS season,” said Brady. “Lewis is an incoming transfer from the Cayman Islands. He’s competing at the Pan Am Jr. Games in Canada and will be a great addition to our middle distance group. We are looking for him to be a great training partner for our other talented middle distance athletes this season.”

Last season’s team featured several freshmen on both the women’s and men’s squad. Brady is confident that the returning runners will only get better with a season under their belt.

“Our freshman class was pretty big last year. This season, we expect them to be a little more competitive and more willing to take ownership of the team,” said Brady. “We were lucky to bring on some talented and focused ladies who are driven to be better than they were last season, so we are looking to take that next step as a group. Our goal is to build on our successes each and every season.”

The UNO Relays will kick off the season on September 1. Visit lionsports.net to stay updated on Southeastern cross country and the rest of Lions athletics.