Gonzales Finishes Sixth In 5,000 Finals At U.S. Olympic Trials

Senior-to-be to lead loaded Lobo cross country team this fall

Track Home HEADLINES Seven MWC Track & Field Programs Earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors Sixty-One MWC Student-Athletes Receive 2009 USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Honors Three MWC Student-Athletes Named to Academic All-America Track & Field and Cross Country Teams RELATED LINKS • Follow all of the college track action at CollegeSports.com • Email this to a friend

July 17, 2004

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Matt Gonzales missed out a trip to Athens, but the University of New Mexico junior had nothing to hang his head about as he capped a stellar 2004 track season with a sixth place finish in finals of the 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials late Friday night. Gonzales was the highest placing collegiate runner, crossing the finish line with a time of 13:41.25. 2003 U.S. 5,000 champion Tim Broe won the race with a time of 13:27.35.

Gonzales, who won his preliminary heat on Monday night, was among the leaders throughout much of the race before slipping a bit over the final two laps. The Santa Fe native ran six seconds slower than his personal and school record time of 13:35.59. He edged former Colorado standout Jorge Torres, the 2002 NCAA cross country champion, by less than a second at the line.

Gonzales well get some well-deserved time off from competition before returning to lead New Mexico in his final collegiate cross country campaign this fall. The Lobo men are expected to be one of the top teams in the nation in 2004 with five seniors and three all-conference runners, including Gonzales, returning. The addition of one of the nation's premier prep distance runners in La Cueva product Shadrack Kiptoo should give head coach Matt Henry the finest squad in his tenure.