Buffs Stampede To Seventh Straight Big 12 Sweep

Friday, October 28

Cottonwood Creek GC, Waco, Texas

TBA

Colorado

Big 12 Championships

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

October 28, 2005 | Cross Country

By: Linda Sprouse, Assistant SID

WACO, Texas ? The University of Colorado men's and women's cross country teams swept the Big 12 Championship team titles for the seventh consecutive year at Bear Run Cross Country Course here today in Waco, Texas.

The Colorado men have won all 10 Big 12 titles and the women have claimed nine. Senior Christine Bolf finished in 20 minutes and 24 seconds to take the top spot and marked the seventh straight year that a CU woman has taken the top honor.

The third-ranked CU men collected 44 points and bested Texas by just eight points. Stephen Pifer was the top Buff in the race as he finished the 8k loop in 23 minutes and 56 seconds. Bret Schoolmeester (24:06) took sixth overall. The Buffs placed four in the top 10 as James Strang (24:11) took eighth and Billy Nelson (24:16) finished ninth. Payton Batliner (24:27). finished 16^th overall to round out CU's score.

“While I am pleased with the outcome, I am a little confused as to why our front guys seemed to struggle today,” Colorado Head Coach Mark Wetmore said. “We're glad to get the win and continue our string of Big 12 victories and now we're looking to get to the next level of competition.”

Pifer, Strang and Batliner stepped up and helped the Buffs score the extra points needed to defeat Texas. Pifer's fifth-place finish a career-best for him and is the first time he has lead the Buffs.

“Stephen ran a good race and we needed it,” Wetmore went on to say. “If it wasn't for Stephen, James and Payton rising up, we wouldn't have won. That's why you run seven guys; because not everyone can be counted on to have their best day everyday.”

”I'm a little disappointed about how I ran,” Schoolmeester said about his sixth-place finish. “A couple of us ran really poorly, a couple of us ran really great. We're really proud of Stephen Pifer, James Strang and Payton Batliner. They really picked up the slack for us today and that's a mark of a good team. We didn't have a good day, but we still came away with the win.”

“It was pretty a pretty good race,” Pifer said about his fifth-place finish. “I was definitely not expecting to be the top finalist. I was conserving energy the whole way and about a mile and a half out I was feeling pretty good and I decided to take a shot at it.”

The 10^th-ranked CU women scored 38 points, 15 more than Oklahoma State, to secure their team victory. Jenny Barringer was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year with a second-place finish, just 10 seconds behind Bolf. Liza Pasciuto (20:49) also finished in the top 10 at sixth overall. Kalin Toedebusch and Jackie Zeigle rounded out the Buffs score by finishing 11^th and 18^th, respectively.

“I am very, very pleased with the women's race,” Wetmore said. “We knew it would be close between us and Oklahoma State, but it turned out not to be too close because just about everyone had a very good day. Great job to Christine to get a Big 12 win. A wonderful job for Jenny, of course, who swooped up into second. Liza, who has been nursing a very painful syst in the back of her knee, had her best race of the season by far.”

The win for Bolf was her third first-place finish of the season. She has won the Rocky Mountain Shootout and the “White” race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals.

“I think I went out pretty conservative and just felt pretty easy from the beginning,” Bolf said. “I just kind of held it (the lead) the whole way. I think we as a team ran a pretty smart race which is pretty typical of Colorado. Going out conservative and kind of picking it up towards the end. Some girls towards the back end really stepped which is what we needed. Everyone came together when we needed them to.”

“I really wanted to do well and score as few points as possible for my team,” Barringer explained. I ran a very comparable time to Pre-Nationals. I really wanted to stick close to Christine and come in behind her and run second on the team. I wanted to be a little more aggressive (than Pre-Nationals) this time and I felt like I was. I really allowed myself to go out and I felt really good.”

The Buffs will head to the 2005 NCAA Mountain Region Championships, Nov. 12, in Orem. Utah. The top two teams in each race and the top two finishers, not associated with the top two teams, will earn automatic bids to the 2005 NCAA Championship on Nov. 21, in Terre Haute, Ind.

2005 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Bear Run Cross Country Course (Waco, Texas)

MEN'S 8K TEAM SCORES

1. Colorado 44; 2. Texas 52; 3. Kansas 68; 4. Oklahoma State 92; 5. Missouri 182; 6. Iowa State 188; 7. Texas A&M 202; 8. Kansas State 234; 9. Texas Tech 246; 10. Nebraska 288; 11. Oklahoma 291; 12. Baylor 346

MEN'S FINISHERS:

1. Benson Chesang, KU, 23:45; 2. Joe Thorne, UT, 23:48; 3. Erik Stanley, UT, 23:51; 4. Kevin Stanley, TTU, 23:56; 5. Stephen Pifer, CU, 23:56; 6. Bret Schoolmeester, CU, 24:06; 7. Kiel Uhlo, ISU, 24:06; 8. James Strang, CU, 24:11; 9. Billy Nelson, CU, 24:16; 10. Colby Wissel, KU, 24:20. Other CU Finishers: 16. Payton Batliner, 24:27; 18. Austin Baillie, 24:28; 23. Pete Janson, 24:44; 30. Anthony Chiulli, 24:57; 32. Erik Heinonen, 25:03

WOMEN'S 6K TEAM SCORES

1. Colorado 38; 2. Oklahoma State 53; 3. Baylor 69; 4. Missouri 117; 5. Nebraska 129; 6. Texas Tech 153; 7. Texas A&M 210; 8. Kansas 214; 9; Iowa State 289; 10. Kansas State 294; 11. Texas 313; 12. Oklahoma 330

WOMEN'S FINISHERS:

1. Christine Bolf, CU, 20:24; 2. Jenny Barringer, CU, 20:34; 3. Violet Chemakwila, TTU, 20:39; 4. Brittany Brockman, BU, 20:42; 5. Mary Davies, OSU, 20:48; 6. Liza Pasciuto, CU, 20:49; 7. Valentina Medina, OSU, 20:57; 8. Erin Bedell, BU, 21:05; 9. Valerie Lauver, MU, 21:08; 10. Irene Kimaiyo, TTU, 21:13. Other CU Finishers: 11. Kalin Toedebusch, 21:14; 18. Jackie Zeigle, 21:39; 25. Laura Zeigle, 21:55; 42. Kristen Hoogheem, 22:44; 53. Sara Ensrud, 23:04.