TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The University of Colorado cross country teams raced to top five finishes at the NCAA Championships here Monday, as the Buffalo women came in second, while the men finished fifth as a combination of youth and injuries worked against CU defending its 2004 titles won by both.
The Colorado men were ranked third heading into the race and the women were ranked sixth. This is the first time since 1999 that the Buffs have not won an individual or team title, but it did continue the run of top 10 finishes for both programs under head coach Mark Wetmore. Both the men and women have finished in the top 10 all 11 seasons under Wetmore's reign, with this being the ninth time the men placed in the top five and the eighth time top five finish for the women, including its second runner-up effort to go with the 2000 and 2004 national titles.
Stanford won the women's race with 146 points, outdistancing the Buffaloes (181) by 35 points. Wisconsin easily captured the men's with 37 points, with Arkansas second (105); CU earned fifth with 222.
“Our two elders did not have a good race,” head coach Mark Wetmore said. “James (Strang) ran well with a head cold and I was a little worried about him coming into the race. I don't think Billy (Nelson) is going to be satisfied with his finish this year. But we are going to be a good team next year.” CU's top runner, Brent Vaughn, did not race this autumn due to an injury, and he'll also be back in 2006.
“I'm very, very happy,” assistant coach Heather Burroughs said of the women's effort the Lavern-Gibson Cross Country Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. “Two weeks ago we were ranked 10th and last week we were ranked sixth. Duke and Stanford have been so dominant. They've had every number one ranking since the first poll. It's a really spectacular day for us.”
Senior Christine Bolf finished the 6k loop in 19 minutes and 59 seconds and placed sixth to lead the Buffs. Sophomore Liza Pasciuto followed close behind (20:02) and came in eighth. Freshman Jenny Barringer (20:36) earned a 32nd place finish at her first NCAA Championship. Seniors Kalin Toedebusch and Jackie Zeigle completed CU's scorers, finishing 64th and 71st, respectively.
“Christine is 98 percent happy with her finish,” Burroughs said. “She had a terrible cold 10 days ago. In her senior year and getting over that cold, seventh is a good finish.”
“I was pretty conservative towards the beginning of the race,” Bolf said. “I kind of moved up at 2k and kept moving up. I'm pretty happy with my finish. It's my last cross country race in a CU jersey and I think it was a good race. I think we did really good as a team. As a team effort, it was really good. We did what coach wanted us to do.”
Pasciuto took 13th last year at the NCAA's and moved up to ninth this season.
“Liza is on her way to being the best CU female cross country runner in history,” Burroughs said. “She has a streak going (in the NCAA's) that could make her the best female runner we've ever had.”
Wisconsin took the event with 37 points and was led by last year's NCAA Champion Simon Bairu. Bairu crossed the finish line first in 29 minutes and 16 seconds. The Badgers placed three racers in the top 10. Colorado collected 222 points. Sophomore James Strang led the pack and finished in 27th place (30:17). Stephen Pifer (30:19) was the second for the Buffs in 29th and senior Bret Schoolmeester (30:24) came in at 33rd. Rounding out CU's score was Billy Nelson (30:47) and Payton Batliner (30:59).
“I'm really disappointed, really disappointed,” senior captain Bret Schoolmeester said. “I got out there and felt pretty poorly and tried to move up and couldn't. I'm glad a couple of my teammates got me at the end, otherwise we'd be really hurting as a team. I don't think anyone performed as well as they hoped for today.”
“I'd be lying if I didn't say I was expecting a little more,” Stephen Pifer. “I don't know what the problem was. I don't think we got out as good as we needed to; I think the race was a little faster than we were expecting. I would have liked to have gone out a little faster. I was only 16 seconds off (30 minutes) and I was pretty far back.”
The Buff women return four of the seven runners they had in Terre Haute next season, including Pascuito and Barringer, while the men will welcome back five of their seven, including top finishers Strang and Pifer.
2005 NCAA DIVISION I CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Monday, Nov. 21 - Lavern-Gibson Cross Country Course
Wabash Family Sports Center, Terre Haute, Ind.
10k Men's Race
Team Results (Agate)
1. Wisconsin (37); 2. Arkansas (105); 3. Notre Dame (178); 4. Iona (205); 5. Colorado (222); 6. Stanford (231); 7. Texas (272); 8. Oklahoma State (355); 9. Portland (372); 10. Arizona (384); 11. Ohio State (406); 12. Kansas (412); 13. Brigham Young (416); 14. Utep (418); 15. Dartmouth (426); 16. Georgetown (440); 17. Arizona State (465); 18. Florida State (471); 19. Iowa (495); 20. Minnesota (514); 21. Alabama (516); 22. William and Mary (518); 23. Florida (520); 24. Eastern Michigan (525); 25. Butler (531); 26. Virginia (550); 27. Washington (556); 28. Tennessee (604); 29. Indiana (617); 30. American (699); 31. Loyola (Illinois) (856).
Individual Top 10
1. Simon Bairu, Wisconsin, 29:15.9
2. Richard Kiplagat, Iona, 29:21.9
3. Chris Solinsky, Wisconsin, 29:27.8
4. Josh Mcdougal, Liberty, 29:32.6
5. Westly Keating, Texas-Pan American, 29:38.1
6. Josh Rohatinsky, Brigham Young, 29:40.2
7. Josphat Boit, Arkansas, 29:49.1
8. Kurt Benninger, Notre Dame, 29:50.2
9. Matt Withrow, Wisconsin, 29:50.7
10. Robert Cheseret, Arizona, 29:50.8
Colorado Racers
27. James Strang, 30:17
29. Stephen Pifer, 30:19
33. Bret Schoolmeester, 30:24
56. Bill Nelson, 30:47
77. Payton Batliner, 30:59
111. Austin Baillie, 31:23
169. Pete Janson, 31:57
6k Women's Race
Team Results (Agate)
1. Stanford (146); 2. Colorado (181); 3. Duke (185): 4. Arizona State (191); 5. Illinois (212); 6. Michigan (250); 7. Notre Dame (252); 8. Brigham Young (288); 9. Minnesota (361); 10. Oklahoma State (377); 11. Princeton (385); 12. Northern Arizona (388); 13. Columbia-Barnard (392); 14. North Carolina St. (406); 15. Baylor (412); 16. Providence (413); 17. Wake Forest (426); 18. Boston College (432); 19. Arkansas (444); 20. Wisconsin (469); 21. Villanova (497); 22. North Carolina (520); 23. William and Mary (530); 24. Butler (531); 25. Rice (598); 26. Virginia (605); 27. Georgetown (613); 28. Tennessee (641); 29. Marquette (660); 30. Michigan State (671); 31. Georgia (688).
Individual Top 10
1. Johanna Nilsson, Northern Arizona, 19:33.9
2. Caroline Bierbaum, Columbia-Barnard, 19:46.0
3. Stephanie Madia, Notre Dame, 19:48.4
4. Victoria Mitchell, Butler, 19:50.4
5. Clara Horowitz, Duke, 19:50.7
6. Keira Carlstrom, American, 19:58.1
7. Christine Bolf, Colorado, 19:58.8
8. Arianna Lambie, Stanford, 19:59.1
9. Liza Pasciuto, Colorado, 20:01.2
10. Cack Ferrell, Princeton, 20:03.1
Colorado Racers
6. Christine Bolf, 19:59
8. Liza Pasciuto, 20:02
32. Jenny Barringer, 20:36
64. Kalin Toedebusch, 21:01
71. Jackie Zeigle, 21:04
178. Kristin Hoogheem, 22:18
209. Laura Zeigle, 23:20
