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Cross Country Notes Week 3
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Weekly Notes.pdf
  • For the complete release, including polls, schedules and results, click on the Weekly Notes.pdf to the right.

    WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
    Mircea Bogdan, a junior from Craiova, Romania, earned his second Athlete of the Week honor this year, placing second at the Kachina Classic. Bogdan posted a time of 22:34, finishing six seconds behind the winner in the 7.4k race.

    Natalie Rasmussen, a senior from Port Orchard, Wash., finished fifth at the Southern Stampede, helping the Hurricane to a fifth-place finish. Rasmussen finished with a time of 17:36.12 in the 5k race, taking fifth out of 216 runners. The Golden Hurricane took fifth in the 24-team field.

  • Additional mens nominees included: None

  • Additional womens nominees included: Dana Buchanan, Hawaii; Marissa Daniels, Rice and Adriana Pirtea, UTEP.

  • POLLS
    Mondo Men's Cross Country Rankings
    FinishLynx Women's Cross Country Rankings

  • TEAM CHAMPIONS
    HAWAII TAKES BIG WAVE INVITATIONAL
    The Hawaii womens cross country team captured the 2004 Big Wave Invitational at the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course. The host Rainbow Wahine placed four runners in the Top 10, including three in the top five, to finish with 37 total points. Brigham Young-Hawaii finished in second with 47 points. BYUHs Chelsea Smith, the reining Division II national champion, captured the individual title, completing the 4K race in a time of 14:37. UHs Dana Buchanan made her season debut by finishing second at 15:18. Fellow sophomores Kelly Young and Chantelle Laan placed fourth and fifth with times of 15:56 and 15:57, respectively. Sophomore Danielle Binns came in eighth (16:08), while sophomore Chelsee Pummel rounded out UHs qualifying team in 18th place (16:38).

    MUSTANGS WIN MEAN GREEN OPENER
    The SMU Mustangs cruised to an easy victory in their season opener, beating the next closest team, No. 25 Baylor, handily in the Mean Green Opener (Sept. 11). Senior Karin van Rooyen showed her experience by leading the Mustangs to the win. van Rooyen finished in second place with a time of 17:56. The day belonged to the newcomers, however. In her first race as a Mustang, Nicole Kelleher finished strong in 18:05 for third overall. Local standouts Krystal Rodriguez of Grand Prairie and Rachael Forish of Arlington did not let their first collegiate race intimidate them. Rodriguez had an impressive run as she edged out Forish at the line, finishing fourth in 18:23.

    RICE TAKES ITS INVITATIONAL
    The Rice mens and womens cross country teams posted the top four times in each race to take the team titles at the 30th annual Rice Invitational (Sept. 11). Leading the way for the women on the 4K course was junior Kate Gorry. The all-WAC honoree posted a 13:00.96 to lead the Owls. Rice placed seven in the top 15 to total 19 points. For the men, veteran Marcel Hewamudalige crossed the finish in 11:07.43, leading a contingent of Rice runners who finished first through fourth.

    UTEP WINS SEASON OPENER
    UTEPs Adriana Pirtea and Mircea Bogdan each took titles at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational at Santa Teresa Country Club in Santa Teresa, N.M. (Sept. 4). Pirteas victory helped the womens team out last El Paso Community College 30-31 to repeat as meet champions. New Mexico State was third with 69 points followed by Western New Mexico (86). Pirtea repeated as champion as well, winning the 4,521-meter race in 17:46.95. The mens team walked away with the title, scoring 26 points for their second-consecutive title. El Paso Community College was second with 33 points and New Mexico State was third with 69 points. Bogdan and Stephen Samoei went 1-2 in the mens 6,619-meter race. Bogdan ran nearly one minute faster than last years champion in 21:26.13. Samoei was right behind him in 21:27.88.