|
#1
Men; #22 women prepare
for NAIA Championships
November 18, 2003
| Quick
Facts |
NAIA National Cross Country Championships
E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park
Louisville, Ky. |
Start
Times:
Women: 10:30 am EST
Men: 11:45 am EST |
| |
| Men's
Participants |
Women's
Participants |
 |
 |
| Brian
Crowl |
Jessyca
Barker |
 |
 |
| Pat
Egelus |
Stephanie
Colkitt |
 |
 |
| Eric
Griffiths |
Shannon
Edwards |
 |
 |
| Michael
Greenman |
Rian
Finney |
 |
 |
| Alex
McGladrey |
Jessica
Johnston |
 |
 |
| Tim
Riley |
Kelsey
Jones |
 |
 |
| Ian
Schroeder |
Shawna
Muchow |
 |
|
Samuel
Wambugu
(Alternate) |
This Saturday, history could be made in
Louisville for Eastern Oregon University. If the Mountaineer
men's cross country team can finish where they are currently ranked
nationally by the NAIA, they will bring home the first NAIA national team
championship in the 74 year history of Eastern Oregon University.
Men's Preview
This will mark the eighth straight trip
to Nationals for a men's team from Eastern Oregon.
Last year's
2nd place finish was the highest national finish by any Eastern Oregon
University team.
That mark was previously held by the 1999 cross country women's team
with a 3rd place finish... which eclipsed the 1999 softball 4th place
finish that previous spring.
All seven runners for Coach Ben Welch
have national meet experience.
This will mark the fourth trip to
nationals by senior Tim Riley. Riley, a native of
Hubbard, Ore., best national finish came in 2000 at 47th.
Making their third trip to nationals
will be Brian Crowl, Tim Riley, and Ian Schroeder.
Crowl, the Cascade Conference and NAIA
Region I individual champion claimed All-American honors with top-30
finishes last season, along with teammates Michael Greenman and
Schroeder.
This will mark Greenman's second trip
to the national stage, along with Pat Egelus and Eric
Griffiths.
Coach Welch has also taken freshman Samuel
Wambugu as an alternate just in case one of the first seven
runners are unable to run in the race.
Women Preview
This year's team should have an
interesting time in Louisville. Only four of the seven runners
have national meet experience, but what they lack in experience they
make up for in talent.
This will mark the sixth trip in the
past eight for the Mountaineer women's squad. With their top
coming in that 1999 season with a bronze medal finish in Kenosha, Wisc.
This year's team returns junior Jessyca
Barker and senior Kelsey Jones. Each picked up
All-American honors at last year's meet for top-30 finishes.
Barker is the only women runner with
more than one year's experience at nationals. She was part of Southern
Virginia's United State Collegiate Athletic Association national
championship team in 2001, before return to her hometown of La Grande.
Also return from last year team will be
sophomores Shannon Edwards (Sheridan, Ore.) and Rian Finney
(Beaverton, Ore.). Both have run well for the team throughout
2003.
Rounding out the seven woman team and
making their first trip to nationals will be sophomores Stephanie
Colkitt, and Jessica Johnston, along with junior Shawna
Muchow.
Colkitt and Muchow are from nearby
Union, while Johnston hails from Oregon City.
|
NAIA
Team Finishes
(since 1993) |
| |
Men |
Women |
| 2002 |
2nd |
7th |
| 2001 |
10th |
dnp |
| 2000 |
t-6th |
dnp |
| 1999 |
23rd |
3rd |
| 1998 |
15th |
9th |
| 1997 |
29th |
6th |
| 1996 |
30th |
25th |
| 1995 |
dnp |
dnp |
| 1994 |
dnp |
dnp |
| 1993 |
6th |
dnp |
|
