It takes someone that is upbeat and

energetic to be a cross country runner.

What other kind of person would run 12 miles at 6 a.m. or in the middle of an Arizona afternoon?

UA sophomore Jeff McLarty is that kind of guy. Although it may seem kind of crazy, he knows exactly what he is doing and where he wants to go.

McLarty had an impressive start with the Wildcats his freshman season. He consistently placed in the top five on the team and was a major contributor. Now he is taking what he learned last year and applying it this year.

"I am not so naive as I was last year," McLarty said. "I feel much more experienced. I know what to face and what to expect, where last year I would just go out and run."

So far, he has been able to apply those lessons well. He placed third on the team and ninth overall at the first meet of the year, the Jammin' Invitational in Brea, Calif. He followed that outing by placing third on the team and 24th overall at the Mounta in West Classic in Missoula, Mont.

"I would like to have done better so far this year, but it is still early," McLarty said.

With only one senior on the team, McLarty has had to provide leadership to the younger members.

"We have a real young team, so I try to guide them in the right way as much as I can," McLarty said. "We lost two seniors last year, so I am just trying to share the knowledge."

And more people than the team's freshmen are noticing.

"He has shown a lot more leadership this year," UA head coach Dave Murray said.

While McLarty is focused on the team, he is aware of what he wants to accomplish individually. He wants to see the team place second at the District VIII Championships, a feat that would guarantee the team a spot at the national championships in Tucson on Nov. 25. Individually, he would like to place in the top 15 at both the Pacific 10 Championships and the District VIII Championships.

"He is capable of being a top runner in the Pac-10," Murray said.

Coming out of high school, McLarty showed that he was one of the top runners in the nation. He was a four-time letterman in both cross country and track at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Calif. During his senior year he placed second in the state in th e 3,200 meters.

During that same year he ran a personal best of 9 minutes, 1 second in the 3,200m, which was the fastest time in California and the fifth best in the nation.

Running seems to be in the McLarty family's blood. Jeff's older brother, Andrew, is a sophomore cross country runner at Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) College. McLarty's father competed at Cerritos (Calif.) Junior College and Long Beach State.

To relax after a meet, McLarty doesn't have to go very far. Most cross country meets are held on golf courses. Perhaps that would explain McLarty's love of golf.

While his cross country schedule prohibits him from playing as much as he would like, he did say it is a good release for him.

"Golf is my secondary recreation," he said.

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