THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Friday, August 31
Seattle U at UW/SU Open, Seattle, Wash.
Texas State at Bear Invite, Waco, Texas
New Mexico State at Lobo Invite, Albuquerque, N.M.
Saturday, September 1
Utah State at Utah State Open Logan, Utah
San Jose State at USF Invitational, San Francisco, Calif.
Idaho at Clash of the Inland Northwest, Spokane, Wash.
UTSA at Texas, Austin, Texas
WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Idaho Vandals
The Vandal men's team returns just two of its top runners from last season, seniors Barry Britt and Jeff Osborn, when Idaho finished third at the WAC Championships ... Britt is the WAC's top returning runner after his runner-up finish one year ago. He is a two-time First-Team All-WAC honoree in cross country and was a 2010 USTFCCCA All-West Region selection ... Idaho's women return its top three finishers, juniors Hannah Kiser, Emily Paradis and Alycia Butterworth ... the Vandal women are in the hunt to become the first WAC women's team to win three consecutive titles since BYU (1990-98) ... Kiser became the first Vandal woman to earn an individual NCAA Cross Country Championships bid and the first to compete since 2004
Louisiana Tech
Notes not available.
Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada opens the season at home this weekend, hosting the Nevada Chase Race ... the event will take place at Rancho San Rafael ... the Wolf Pack placed sixth at last year’s WAC Championship in Moscow, Idaho ... Samantha Diaz returns to the squad after finishing ninth at last season’s WAC championship ... the team will also host the Nevada Twilight Classic on Sept. 10 at Shadow Mountain Park.
San Jose State Spartans
San Jose State hits the ground running in the first meet of the 2011 season this Saturday at the Notre Dame Invitational in Crystal Springs, Calif. ... women’s cross country will open the day of racing at the Battle of the Bay at 10 a.m. on the 5K dirt trail course, while the men’s side will run the 4.2 mile JC course beginning at 10:45 a.m. ... Kate Lambdin and Elizabeth Raymond return to the Battle of the Bay for the Spartans where they finished first and second respectively in 2010 leading San Jose State to a team victory ... the Spartan men’s team was also victorious at this event last year ... Sterling Granger finished second only to his teammate Alfredo Coronado in the 2010 event and returns this year as a senior and the team captain.
Seattle University Redhawks
The Redhawks return 21 letter winners (11 men, 10 women) for the 2012 campaign ... redshirt senior Matthew McClement, returns as one of the team captains this season after earning Second Team All-Great West honors in both 2009 and 2010, while redshirt senior Erick Barkhaus was a First Team All-Great West selection in 2010 as the Seattle U men finished second at both the 2009 and 2010 Great West Championships ... on the women's side, the Redhawks are led by 2011 First Team All-Great West honoree Hannah Mittelstaedt and Second Team All-Great West selection Jennifer Stolle, along with senior captain Lauren Hammerle ... Seattle U will open at the SU/WU Open on Aug. 31.
University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks
The Mavericks enter 2012 looking to better their fifth (m) and seventh-place (w) finishes in the 2011 Southland Conference Championships ... the men return five runners who participated in last year's conference meet, with the top returner being Cody Widener, who placed 36th in 26:41 in the 8K ... UTA freshmen, Virgilio Martinez and Craig Lautenslager, figure to be among the top three Mavericks this year ... on the women's side just three team members have ever competed at a conference championship, all at last year's SLC Championships. The highest returning finisher is Hannah Nilsson, who placed 31st (23:04) ... the Mavs begin their first season in the WAC hosting the UTA Season Opener on Sept. 8.
UTSA Roadrunners
UTSA welcomes back eight letter winners from last year's men's team that finished second in the Southland Conference ... the Roadrunners went on to post their best finish, fifth, in 14 years at the NCAA South Central Regional ... seniors Daniel Balbontin and Ivan Garcia lead a roster that also features three juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen ... an experienced group is back for the UTSA women this fall, as the team's top six scorers from last year's Southland Conference Championships all return ... Nina Herrera and Alyssa Diaz both earned All-Southland accolades and Carly Kitts was tabbed the Southland Freshman of the Year ... UTSA opens with a dual at Texas.
Texas State Bobcats
Texas State kicks off their first season in the WAC at the Bear Twilight hosted by Baylor University ... the Bobcats return a total of six runners combined from the 2012 season (three men, three women) ... senior Esperanza Lopez, junior Michelle Jones and sophomore Kelly Trevino return as the women’s top runners ... Jones placed 18th in last year’s Southland Conference Championships, helping the Bobcats to a fourth-place finish ... Joseph Rodriguez, who recorded three top 20 finishes in 2012, returns as one of the Bobcats leading male runners.
Utah State Aggies
In 2011, the Utah State men's cross country won it's sixth Western Athletic Conference Championship in seven years ... Brian McKenna won the men's individual WAC title and was named the 2011 WAC Male Athlete of the Year in his final year as an Aggie ... the USU women finished the 2011 season placing third at the WAC Championship with only seven athletes running due to injuries ... the Aggies return four men and six women including junior Kyle McKenna who placed fifth at the 2011 WAC Cross Country Championships and senior Ruth Hilton who led all USU women by placing ninth at the championships ... other returners include seniors Aaron Clements and David Cluff as well as senior Alex Litzsinger and junior Hannah Williams.
WAC NOTES
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2012 WAC Cross Country Championship travels to Ruston, Louisiana. This year's championships will be hosted by Louisiana Tech University and will take place at the Lincoln Parish Park Course on Saturday, Oct. 27. The Utah State men and Idaho women claimed the championships last year.
October 27, 2012
Ruston, Louisiana
Host: Louisiana Tech
Course: Lincoln Parish Park
Admission: Free
NCAA REGIONALS
The 2012 Cross Country Regionals will be held at nine sites throughout the country, Friday, Nov. 9. WAC teams will be represented in three locations. The West Region will be held in Seattle, Wash., (Washington). The Mountain Region will be held in Fort Collins, Colo., (Colorado State), while the South Central Regional (Arkansas) will take place in Fayetteville, Ark.
November 09, 2012
Great Lakes Region - Wisconsin
Mid Atlantic Region - Penn State
Midwest Region - Missouri State
Mountain Region - Colorado State
Northeast Region - Fairfield
South Region - Florida State
South Central Region - Arkansas
Southeast Region - Charlotte
West Region - Washington
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2012 Cross Country National Championships once again travels to Louisville, Ky. The race will take place at E.P. "Tom Sawyer" State Park.
November 17, 2012
E.P. "Tom Sawyer" State Park
3000 Freys Hill Road
Louisville, KY 40241-2132
Ticket Info: 502/852-515
