The Western Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships concluded Saturday, October 27 in Honolulu, with the Rice men and Tulsa women emerging victorious. The races took place at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course near the University of Hawai`i campus. In addition, the all-WAC teams were announced, including the men's and women's Athlete of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Rice scored 51 points to win the men's competition, just three points ahead of second-place finisher UTEP with 54. SMU was third with 66 points and Tulsa placed fourth with 70 points. The remaining teams and their points scored were: Fresno State, 118; Louisiana Tech 148; San Jose State, 186; Boise State, 192.
In the women's race, Tulsa was first with 80 points, followed by Rice with 89 points. Third-place Nevada edged out Hawai`i by just one point, as the Wolf Pack scored 101 to the Wahine's 102. Fifth through 10th places were: Boise State, 116; San Jose State, 120; Fresno State, 152; UTEP, 155; SMU, 193; and Louisiana Tech, 332.
The individual champions were UTEP junior Bashar Ibrahim and Hawai`i senior Cheryl Smith, both favored to take their respective titles. Ibrahim completed the men's 8,000-meter course in 24:58, while Smith finished the women's 5,000-meter race in 17:42, setting a new course record. SMU runners finished second and third in the men's race as senior David Gerych crossed the line in 25:10, followed by freshman Dalibor Balgac at 25:41. For the women, Hawai`i senior Casey McGuire-Turcott placed second with a time of 17:57, followed closely by SMU freshman Karin van Rooyen who came in at 18:01.
The top freshman finisher at the meet receives the Freshman of the Year honor, while the Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year are selected by a poll of the coaches. All coaches are given a ballot, but are not permitted to vote for themselves nor their own athlete. The first seven finishers decide the first-team all-WAC, while the eighth through 14th-place finishers comprise the all-WAC second team.
The men's Athlete of the Year was awarded to UTEP's Ibrahim. In addition to the conference title, Ibrahim earned three top-10 finishes this season, including the individual title at the Kachina Classic in Las Cruces, N.M., in September. SMU's Balgac added the Freshman of the Year award to his third-place finish at the championships, which also places him on the all-WAC first team. During the season, Balgac finished second at the Texas A&M Invitational on October 13 and won the Southwest Texas Short Course championship six days later. Rice's Jon Warren was honored as the men's Coach of the Year after guiding the Owls to their second WAC team title.
Hawai`i's Smith won the women's Athlete of the Year award after completing a stellar final season. Smith took four individual titles and added two top-five finishes in her six races this fall. The Freshman of the Year honor went to SMU's van Rooyen, who was a top performer for the Mustangs all season, garnering two top-five finishes. Steve Gulley of Tulsa claimed Coach of the Year honors for leading the Hurricane to its first WAC championship.
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The following is a list of the all-WAC teams:
Men's First-Team All-WAC
1. Bashar Ibrahim, UTEP, Jr.
2. David Gerych, SMU, Sr.
3. Dalibor Balgac, SMU, Fr.
4. Dario Espinoza, UTEP, Jr.
5. Scott Loftin, Rice, Fr.
6. Keith Pierce, Rice, Sr.
7. Graham Davidson, SMU, Jr.
Men's Second-Team All-WAC
8. Marco Gallegos, UTEP, Sr.
9. Tim Oberg, Rice, So.
10. Ben Orozco, Tulsa, So.
11. Owain Matthews, Tulsa, So.
12. Roosevelt Cook, Fresno State, Jr.
13. Andy Norman, Tulsa, Jr.
14. Tom Ring, Rice, Jr.
Women's First-Team All-WAC
1. Cheryl Smith, Hawai`i, Sr.
2. Casey McGuire-Turcott, Hawai`i, Sr.
3. Karin van Rooyen, SMU, Fr.
4. Charlotte Sanderson, Tulsa, Sr.
5. Ana Martinez, San Jose State, Sr.
6. Emma Garrard, Nevada, Jr.
7. Michelle Carman, Boise State, So.
Women's Second-Team All-WAC
8. Liza Ruckman, Rice, Jr.
9. Kim Nebeker, San Jose State, Jr.
10. Sarah Haskins, Tulsa, Jr.
11. Olga Gutierrez, Fresno State, Jr.
12. Adrienne Rogers, Boise State, Jr.
13. Maria Lleren, UTEP, Jr.
14. Shannon Murto, Rice, So.