CROSS COUNTRY WINS 19th SHOOTOUT

Saturday, October 2

Boulder, Colo.

8:30 OPEN/10:15 COLLEGE

Colorado

W-1st/3

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOOTOUT

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

October 02, 2004 | Cross Country

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER, Colo. ? Senior All-American Renee Metivier covered the rain-drenched Buffalo Ranch at CU's South Campus 5.8k loop in a personal record 20 minutes, 21 seconds to win her first race as a Buff, while Brent Vaughn (pictured) ran a 24:48 to tie a sophomore course record and finish second as the fifth-ranked University of Colorado men's and sixth-ranked women's cross country teams took the team titles of the 19th annual Rocky Mountain Shootout here Saturday.

It is the sixth straight time both CU squads have taken the team titles, 12th overall in one of the longest running collegiate cross country races in the country. In the Division I-only scoring, the CU men had 15 points, well ahead of runner-up Wyoming (62) and Air Force (63). The Colorado women put up 16 points to finish 28 ahead of Wyoming (44) and Northern Colorado (80).

“We were out here yesterday and I told the team at dinner last night not to even bring their watches,” said head coach Mark Wetmore on the course conditions. “We came here to run against our opponents, not the clock, but the course improved overnight and the times were better than expected. Brent Vaughn had one of the best sophomore times ever and Renee Metivier ran a solo time trial. Up front things went well and our sixth, seventh and eighth runners (on the men's team) ran very well, while our women's team needs to shore themselves up in the back.”

Kelly Christensen of second-ranked Division II powerhouse Western State College became the first non-CU runner to win the men's individual title since 1999 when he took the lead from Vaughn with a half mile to go and finished in 24:40.

“I had taken the lead with a mile to go and tried to push the pace. He (Christensen) sat on me for a half mile and then ran away. He ran a really smart race and I didn't,” said Vaughn. “Overall I'm pretty happy. I'm disappointed in the end, but I went out a little fast a little too early. We still have a long way to go and everyone that knows me knows that my goal since I started running is to win.”

The Colorado men placed seven runners in the top-10, the first time the Buffs packed the top of the race that tight since the ?99 Shootout when they went 3-4-5-6-7-9-10, coincidently as the fifth-ranked team in the land. Finishing behind Vaughn today was junior Bret Schoolmeester who finished third in a pr 25:11 and senior Jared Scott who also ran a course pr 25:32 to finish fifth in his last attempt on the Buffalo Ranch. Freshman Bradley Harkrader was the top finishing newcomer, finishing seventh in 25:35 ahead of senior Jon Severy who also ran his last home meet today scoring as CU's fifth runner, eighth overall in 25:35. Redshirt freshman Stephen Pifer (25:40) and freshman James Strang (25:51) rounded out the top-10.

“I had run this course, but modified, in high school. I had never run up Jawbone Hill so that was a new experience, especially twice. But if you know how to run up, it makes it easy,” said Harkrader on his first collegiate race. “I'm just glad to get it over with. It was a good start for me.”

Metivier ran what Wetmore called “a solo time trial” as the course conditions limited her bid to establish a new course record, but she still shaved 48 seconds off her time from a year ago for the pr and brought the women's individual title back to the CU-Boulder campus for the fifth time in six seasons.

“I was going to go for the record and I was thinking if it came, it came and if it didn't it didn't,” Metivier said. “I'm not upset about it. It's still a good time for the first race of the season.”

Metivier's 36-second win over teammate Christine Bolf (a course pr 20:57) is the largest winning margin since Kara Grgas-Wheeler set the course record in 2000 in 19:38, edging then-freshman Sara Gorton (20:33) by 54 ticks. Metivier and Bolf ran the race's only sub-21 minute times as it was a battle to close out the top five as Western State teammates Agnes Kadneraff (21:29) and defending champion Alisha Williams (21:30) finished third and fourth, respectively, ahead of CU senior Natalie Florence (21:37), who ran this course for the last time of her career, and Buff freshman Amber Smith (21:45) who finished fifth and sixth. Freshman Liza Pasciuto (22:19) scored as CU's fifth runner, 11th overall.

“My plan was to stay a little further back with the pack, but that didn't go accordingly,” laughed Bolf.

Also running the Buffalo Ranch loop for the last time of her career, and what she counted as the 11th overall, was senior Kendall Grgas-Wheeler (24:38/43rd).

In this morning's open races, Colorado junior Payton Batliner (26:38) and freshmen Chris Pannone (27:15) ran unattached and finished first and second, respectively in the men's open race while Lori Hubbart (22:35) won the women's open race, holding off runner-up finisher Colleen Stroud (22:46).

The Colorado reserves have just a week to recoup from this morning's races as they will compete at the Tiger Invitational on Oct. 9 in Hays, Kan., while the varsity does not compete again until Oct. 16 at the Pre-NCAA Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., the site of this year's national championships.

19th ANNUAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOOTOUT

Buffalo Ranch at CU South Campus (Boulder, Colo.)

MEN'S DIVISION I TEAM SCORES

1. COLORADO 15; 2. Wyoming 62; 3. Air Force Freshmen 63.

MEN'S NON-DIVISION I TEAM SCORES

1. Western State 16; 2. UC-Colorado Springs 70; 3. Colorado School of Mines 90; 4. Fort Lewis 107; 5. Black Hills State 124; 6. Dickinson State 167; 7. Dine (Ariz.) College 211; 8. Colorado Christian 241, 9. Montana State-Billings 242.

TOP-10 MEN'S FINISHERS

1. Kelly Christensen, WSC, 24:40; 2. Brent Vaughn, CU, 24:48; 3. Bret Schoolmeester, CU, 25:11; 4. Oliver Bodor, WSC, 25:26; 5. Jared Scott, CU, 25:32; 6. Tim Parr, WSC, 25:33; 7. Bradley Harkrader, CU, 25:35; 8. Jon Severy, CU, 25:35; 9. Stephen Pifer, CU, 25:40; 10. James Strang, CU, 25:51. Other CU Finishers: 14. Ryan Deak, 26:19; 19. Pete Janson, 26:51; 25. Austin Baillie, 27:08; 38. Matt McCue, 28:12; 41. Will Campbell, 28:17; 57. Daniel Kenney, 28:49; 58. Micah Moseley, 28:50; 76. Anthony Chiulli, 29:44

WOMEN'S DIVISION I TEAM SCORES

1. COLORADO 16; 2. Wyoming 44, 3. Northern Colorado 80

WOMEN'S NON-DIVISION I TEAM SCORES

1. Western State 23; 2. UC-Colorado Springs 55; 3. Colorado School of Mines 69; 4. Montana State Billings 123; 5. Fort Lewis 126; 6. Dickinson State 151; 7. Dine (Ariz.) College 230; 8. Colorado Christian 235

TOP-10 WOMEN'S FINISHERS

1. Renee Metivier, CU, 20:21; 2. Christine Bolf, CU, 20:57; 3. Agnes Kadneraff, WSC, 21:29; 4. Alisha Williams, WSC, 21:30; 5. Natalie Florence, CU, 21:37; 6. Amber Smith, CU, 21:45; 7. Jennifer Thompson, Wyo, 21:48; 8. Kim Jacques, WSC, 22:12; 9. Hannah Davey, Mines, 22:17; 10. Shannon Payne, UCCS, 22:17. Other CU Finishers: 11. Liza Pasciuto, 22:19; 17. Laura Zeigle, 22:48; 21. Jackie Zeigle, 23:09; 22. Kristen Hoogheem, 23:10; 30. Erin Marston, 23:49; 31. Ashley Wagle, 23:51; 43. Kendall Grgas-Wheeler, 24:28; 69. Allie Bruce, 26:12; Nina Rice, 26:16; 86. Marcy Cameron, 27:58.