Pat Sovacool, seen here at the Miami Invitational, has finished in the top three in both of the Miami men's cross country meets in 2006. (Bob Dickerson)
Miami University sophomore Pat Sovacool really stands out from the rest of the cross country team. It's not only because his last name makes him sound like a villain from a James Bond film, or because he can run a mile more than twice as fast as the everyday Miamian. Sovacool literally stands out on the pint-sized cross country team.
He stands at well over six feet tall and looks like a behemoth compared to his teammates, as they pound the trails for up to three hours a day.
"I think Pat is finally starting to grow into his body," said men's Head Cross Country Coach Warren Mandrell. "It tends to take tall runners a while to progress, but once they do, there's tremendous potential."
Sovacool's potential seems to be reaching new heights as he enters his second year on the cross country and track squads.
He appears to be following in the footsteps of former Miami stars Dan Huling and Chris Swisher - both tall runners who blossomed with age. Huling is now running professionally with a contract from Reebok - not a bad pair of shoes to follow.
While Sovacool's success on the trails is beginning to develop, he has already put up some fast times on the track, which is his forte.
After placing third at the Mid-American Conference Championship last year in the 1,500-meters, he went on to place 13th at the Mid-East Regional.
Sovacool posted a blazing time of 3:46 for 1,500-meters last year, which converts to just over a four-minute mile.
That time was one of the fastest in the country by a true freshman last year, as well as one of the best in Miami history.
"I've always been more talented on the track," Sovacool said, "but I really enjoy working on the longer races during cross country season. I'm definitely improving, so it'll be interesting to see where that goes."
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The Red and White need a few runners to step up this season, after losing Huling and Swisher - two of the best runners in the nation - to graduation.
Sovacool finished 21st at the MAC Cross Country Championship last season, with a time of 25:52 over eight kilometers.
This year he hopes to crack the 25-minute barrier for the first time in his career.
That's equivalent to running five consecutive miles at under five minutes per mile.
With a time like that and some quick times from teammates Brad Untrauer and Michael Veatch, a MAC title is not out of reach for the RedHawks.
Sovacool and the rest of his teammates have met equal success away from the track and trails.
He was honored by the United States Coaches Association as an All-Academic Athlete, helping his team earn an overall GPA of 3.29 - the highest of any varsity program at Miami.
"Running has definitely made me a better student." Sovacool said. "It helps me budget my time. When I'm not running my grades always seem to slip."
Many collegiate coaches are constantly pushing their athletes to perform better in the classroom, but Mandrell has lucked out in that regard.
"Their dedication to the sport carries over into the classroom," Mandrell said. "Any kid who can run over sixty miles every week isn't going to have a hard time sitting through classes."
The RedHawks - who've won both meets so far this season - will get their next taste of tough competition as they head to the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational Saturday.
They'll be up against almost 20 teams and more than 200 runners, but both Sovacool and Mandrell expect the team to finish in the top three.
But don't doubt Sovacool, he's used to tall orders.
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