Cross Country Heads to Peoria
Oct. 11, 2007
On Your Mark: Fresh off one of its best performances in history, the Saint Louis cross country squads travel to Peoria, Ill., for Friday's Bradley Classic, hosted by Bradley University. The event, which will run through Newman Golf Course, begins at 4:15 p.m. with a men's 8K, followed by the women's 5K at 5 p.m. It is SLU's final preparation before the Atlantic 10 Championship on Oct. 27. Last Time Out: Laura Coyer and Steve Vargas each eclipsed school records at the Brooks Memphis Twilight in leading the Saint Louis cross country squads to arguably their best finishes in school history. Coyer and Mary Moloney finished sixth and 13th, respectively, out of over 300 runners as the Billiken women placed second overall. Meanwhile, the men's squad, led by Vargas' 18th-place finish, placed fifth overall. Weekly Accolades: Vargas is the reigning A-10 Performer of the Week, the first time in the history of the men's program that a cross country runner has received such an honor. In 2000, Aimee Walther garnered Conference USA Runner of the Week accolades, the lone weekly honor on the women's side. Polling Place: In a vote conducted by the league's head coaches earlier this week, the SLU women's squad bumped up into a tie for fifth in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference, while the men's team was elevated to a ninth-place ranking. Down the Road: The Billikens will have two weeks of training for the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships, which are slated for Oct. 27 at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia. Several runners will then participate in the NCAA Midwest Regional on Nov. 11 in Peoria, Ill.
New Coach: The Billikens are in their first season under interim head coach Jon Bell. While this is his first head coaching assignment, Bell has spent time on coaching staffs at Utah Valley State, Emporia State and St. Mary's (Minn.) University. The Atlantic 10 Conference: Saint Louis enters its third season as a member of the A-10. Last season, the women claimed an eighth-place finish in the league, an improvement from their 12th-place finish in 2005. The men have finished 11th and 12th in the league championship the past two seasons. La Salle has won three-straight championships on the women's side and five of the last six titles on the men's side. The Explorers were picked by the league's head coaches to defend their titles in 2007. Front Runners: The men's squad posted their top three times at the Brooks Memphis Twilight. In addition to Vargas' school record time of 25:10.63, Brian Holdmeyer and Mat Stuber finished in 25:54.11 and 25:56.65, respectively, to round out the top three on SLU's season performance list.
Youth is Served: Underclassmen Brian Holdmeyer and Neil Rodrigues both appear on the top 10 on SLU's men's performance list. Holdmeyer's 25:54.11 at the Brooks Memphis Twilight is the second fastest 8K time this season, while Neil Rodrigues crossed the line in 26:33, which bettered his previous high by nearly two minutes. Meanwhile, a trio of sophomores have posted top 10 times on the women's side. Schutzmann (18:55.11), Peabody (19:02.32) and Molly Burke (19:20.90) each appear on the list courtesy of season-best times at the Brooks Memphis Twilight. Bell's Bits: "Friday's event is going to feature some of the top teams in the region, so it will be a good chance for us to see where we stand. Also, this will be good preparation for the NCAA Midwest Regional, as it will be run on the same course. For the women's team, I look for us to compete in the top quarter of what will be 17 competitive teams. On the men's side, our goal is to keep improving. I'd like to see the fourth and fifth spots inch their way up closer to third." |
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