When Head Coach Ted Castaneda hits the recruiting trail each spring, he is looking for what he calls “game changers.” These rare runners have the physical talent to change a program, but on top of that have a work ethic and attitude that can radiate throughout a team. In first-year standouts Tony Calderon and Peter Callan, Castaneda may have found just what the men’s cross country program has been looking for. With the season nearing its November climax, Callan and Calderon have proved that they have the speed to compete with runners with more experience in their wheelhouse. Beyond their speed, Castaneda points to the tireless work ethic of the duo that has provided a team-wide spark in August and September. With early-season trials and local races in the rearview mirror, the men’s cross country team is looking to build towards late-season success and an eventual dethroning of the perennial powerhouse Trinity Tigers at the SCAC Championships in November.
Calderon and Callan undoubtedly lead the team on meet day, but also have perspective on their role as first-year runners on the squad. Callan said, “I definitely think that there is a lot to be said for the senior leadership. As first-years coming in it’s sort of our role to not in any way act like we own the program. Our time to lead the team will come later.” Calderon’s performances this fall have lit a fire under the team that Castaneda thinks can lead to late-season success. “Tony certainly has been leading the squad, he’s not one to back down and that’ll fire up a team, because they want to go after him,” said Castaneda.
Calderon’s standout performances include a team-high 30th place finish at the CC Invite and a 76th place finish at the Woody Greno Invite in Lincoln, Neb. The Tigers early-season schedule is full of D-II competition, which has made it tough for the team to crack into low digits in overall race standings. For Calderon, the CC Invite was one of the biggest learning experiences of the year thus far. “It was definitely a learning experience because that’s where I really had to learn how to pace myself. I guess at the end I felt like I had a lot left,” said Calderon. At high schools across the U.S. teams compete in the 5K, but all NCAA teams run 8Ks in competition.
Transitioning from the world of high school cross country to D-III competition was not without its growing pains for the pair. Castaneda had Callan and Calderon running 60-70 mile weeks this summer in preparation for the jump in competition. “Peter [Callan] hadn’t really done that sort of mileage before in high school, while Tony had.” In high school, Callan was logging heavy hours prior to the season but would quickly drop off in August. This bump in mileage took a toll on Callan and he suffered a minor injury that sidelined him for two weeks. “When Cindy [Ellison], the athletic trainer, told me that I was going to be out for one or two weeks I wasn’t exactly surprised,” said Callan. The preseason mileage seems to have paid off for Callan due to what Castaneda describes as “leap-frogging.” Despite the injury setback, Callan leaned on his preseason training and was able to drop his times on the strength of his 60-70 mile training weeks.
Callan’s return from injury has proved successful. At the Metro State Invite this past weekend Callan posted a 14th-place finish and anchored a fifth place overall finish for the men’s team. Meets up until this point in the season have served as an opportunity for the duo to get used to the new level of competition and extra three kilometers to cover on race day. Looking forward, the Tigers will be headed to Hays, Kan. to run in the annual Fort Hays State Tiger Open. With Calderon and Callan both at full strength, the weekend is shaping up to be a breakout meet for the Tigers. Callan and Calderon have turned in the fastest times this season, but the entire class of 2020 will factor into the mix moving forward. Joining Callan and Calderon are first-years Max Blackburn, Ethan Brand-LaBarge, David Hedges, Adam Mahler, and Jack Williams.
“[Callan] and [Calderon] will be our top runners as we enter the second half of the season. So that is really exciting news for this team as the rest of the guys start to gel behind those guys,” said Castaneda. In November, when the men’s cross country team faces the the Trinity Tigers once again, the first-year phenoms Callan and Calderon will look to topple Trinity and spark a new era for the men’s cross country program.