|
|
|
Host BYU Runners-up In Classic South African Freshman and Mich. St. Transfer Lead Cougars
Sept. 8, 2007 Provo, Utah - Minnesota and Baylor got the best of the BYU men's and women's cross country teams, respectively, at the BYU Autumn Classic at East Bay Golf Course on Saturday. The Minnesota men outpaced the Cougars to take the team victory by just four points 26-30, and the Baylor women finished with a more healthy margin of victory over the BYU women, winning 21-39. Utah Valley University was third place in the women's race with 86 points, followed by Utah 100, Westminster 162 and Dixie State 173. UVU finished with 101 points, placing them in third place behind Minnesota and BYU. "Well we got spanked," BYU women's coach Patrick Shane said. "Baylor is a really good team. In fact, they're probably a top-10 team nationally. But for the first meet we got a lot accomplished." Ed Eyestone, the BYU men's head coach, said he was pleased with how his team ran, especially considering the high level of competition his team faced. "Minnesota is a top-10 team nationally, and to be toe-to-toe with those guys so early in the year is a great sign for our team," Eyestone said. Nichole Jones, a sophomore from Baylor, won the women's 5k race with a time of 17:47.1, and Chris Rombough, a junior from Minnesota, won the men's four-mile race with a time of 19:16.5. Jones is a two-time All-American in track and was the Big-12 Indoor/Outdoor Freshman of the Year, and Rombough was a 2006 All-American in cross country. Two new faces led the way for the Cougars in their first race of the season. Angela Wagner, a freshman from South Africa, and Stephan Shay, a transfer from Michigan State, finished in first place for their respective teams. Wagner is the junior national record holder for South Africa in the steeplechase, and she showed her strength in her first race as a Cougar with a time of 17:51.9 despite recovering from a muscle injury in her thigh early this year. "The race was a bit tougher than I expected," Wagner said. "I was hurt towards the beginning of this year, so I'm still trying to get back into shape for competitions." Coach Shane was especially impressed with how Wagner tried to make a move early on in the race. "Wagner took control of the race maybe a little bit too early, but my hat goes off to her for trying," Shane said. "Sometimes you have to try to jump out and take the lead." Katie Bowen placed fourth with a time of 17:52.3 and was the second-place finisher for the Cougars. Amy Fowler Layne, a 2006 first-team All-Mountain West Conference recipient, finished in ninth place overall with a time of 18:12.4. Junior Stephan Shay led the way for the BYU men, finishing in second place with a time of 19:29.3. Shay led the race for the first mile and a half until Rombough started pulling away. But battling with a Minnesota runner is something Shay is used to. Michigan State, Shay's former school, and Minnesota are Big-10 competitors. "I think it went well for my first race at BYU," Shay said. "As a team I'm pretty pleased with how we did. BYU is a great place especially considering the training I get in the altitude." Sophomore Brandon Hebbert, from Alpine, Utah, finished in fourth place with a time of 19:33.5 and second place for his team. "Hebbert was our seventh man last year, and to see him move up like he did in this race is outstanding," Eyestone said. Taylor Farnsworth, a freshman from Pocatello, Idaho, rounded out the top-three finishers for the Cougars with a time of 19:50.4. The Cougars were without Jacob Gustafsson, the Cougars' fourth man last year, and Dan Hinckley, who couldn't compete because of the stomach flu. The BYU men will compete at the Dave Murray Invite in Tuscon, Ariz., on Sep. 15. The women's next race is in Honolulu at the Big Wave Invitational on Sep. 22.
|
|
