Billikens Return to Action at Notre Dame
Sept. 18, 2008
On Your Mark: After a two-week break, the Saint Louis cross country squads are back in action this weekend when they travel to South Bend, Ind., to participate in the National Catholic Championships, hosted by the University of Notre Dame. The women's race begins at 2:30 p.m. (CT), with the men's competition immediately following. Last Time Out: SLU opened the season Aug. 30 at the Big River Early Bird at Forest Park in St. Louis. The men's squad, which was led by Brian Holdmeyer's ninth-place finish, placed sixth overall. The women were led by freshman Hilary Orf and turned in a second-place finish, trailing only Marquette University. What to Watch For: Recently, Saint Louis has performed well at the National Catholic Championships. Last season, the women's and men's squads placed fourth and eighth, respectively, at the event. The meet, which features one of the largest fields the Billikens will see this year, takes place on the Notre Dame Golf Course with the women running a 5K and the men competing in an 8K. Brian Holdmeyer is expected to lead the men's team, while senior Mary Moloney should be a front-runner for the women's squad. Down the Road: The Billikens are idle next weekend and will compete at the Cowboy Jamboree at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 4. Their regular-season finale is set for Friday, Oct. 17, at Bradley. This year's Atlantic 10 Championships will be held in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 1. Coaching Staff: Head coach Jon Bell is in his second season leading the Billikens' cross country and track & field squads. Also returning to the coaching staff this season are assistant coach Tim Bradley, graduate assistant Autumn Valk and volunteer assistant coach John Cunningham.
The Atlantic 10 Conference: Saint Louis is in its fourth season as a member of the A-10. Last season, the women claimed their best showing in the A-10 Championship after turning in a seventh-place finish. The men have finished 12th in the league the past two seasons. The La Salle men, who have won six of the last seven titles, and the Richmond women are the A-10 favorites. Molly Polly: Junior Molly Burke (Plano, Texas/Ursuline) was the Billikens' fourth finisher at the Big River Running Early Bird with a 4K time of 15:18.4, which placed her 17th overall. Above the Fray: Sophomore Sara Fraley (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) finished 21st overall at the Big River Running Early Bird with a 4K time of 15:35.4 ... last year at Notre Dame, she posted a 5K time of 19:30. M&Ms: Senior Mary Moloney (Bay Village, Ohio/St. Joseph) is the Bills' top returning women's runner ... finished second among the Billikens and 13th overall at the Big River Running Early Bird ... led the Bills and placed 17th overall last season at Notre Dame with a time of 18:38. The Hills: Freshman Hilary Orf (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) turned in an impressive debut at the Big River Running Early Bird, finishing first among her teammates and ninth overall with a time of 14:53.5 ... is a former high school state champion.
Pop Quiz: Freshman Adair Quisenberry (Owensboro, Ky./Daviess County) finished among the top six for the Billikens at the Big River Running Early Bird, crossing the line in 15:23.4, which was good for 20th overall in her first collegiate meet. Re-Verzal of Fortune: Senior Lauren Verzal (Pewaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial) finished 19th overall at the Big River Running Early Bird with a time of 15:22.3, which was good for fifth among her teammates ... was 45th overall last season at Notre Dame, crossing the 5K line in 19:22. Will to Win: Freshman Will Herrington (Sugar Land, Texas/Strake Jesuit) finished the Big River Running Early Bird 60th overall with a time of 21:24.1 ... was second among Billiken freshmen at the event. Holding Pattern: Sophomore Brian Holdmeyer (Washington, Mo./Borgia) picked up where he left off last season, leading the Billikens at the Big River Running Early Bird with an eighth-place time of 19:24.9 ... clocked a 26:33 8K last season at Notre Dame, which was third on the squad and 41st overall. Return of the Mack: Freshman Stephen Mackey (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) led all Billiken freshmen with a time of 20:44.5 at the Big River Running Early Bird ... that time was good for 48th overall out of 185 participants. GO Greg GO: Junior Greg Orf (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) is coming off a 54th-place finish in the Big River Running Early Bird, posting a 6K time of 21:02.4. Lightning Rod: Junior Neal Rodrigues (Alameda, Calif./St. Joseph Notre Dame) turned in an impressive performance two weeks ago at the Big River Running Early Bird, finishing second among the Billikens and 29th overall with a time of 20:16.6.
J-Dub: Junior John Woodman (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan) was a surprise third-place finisher among the Billikens at the Big River Running Early Bird, crossing in a time of 20:39.9. Bell's Bits: "After not running competitively for two weeks, this meet will give us an indication of how we have adapted to our training. For the women, I look for them to perhaps crack the top three. Last season, we finished fourth behind Notre Dame, Duquesne and Xavier, and I feel our women's team has improved. For the men, I would like to see them get to the front of the race and finish among the top five. We have raced before at Notre Dame, and our upperclassmen are comfortable and confident on this course." |
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