Billikens Travel to Oklahoma for Cowboy Jamboree
Oct. 3, 2008
On Your Mark: Saint Louis will get a look at this year's site of the NCAA Regional cross country meet when the teams travel to Stillwater, Okla., to participate in the Cowboy Jamboree at Oklahoma State Saturday morning. The women's 6K race begins at 9:10 a.m., with the men's 8K immediately following. Last Time Out: In its second meet of the year, the Billiken women's team ran strong at the National Catholic Championships at Notre Dame, finishing fourth out of 35 squads. SLU was led by Mary Moloney's 18th-place finish with a 5K time of 18:42. Freshman Hilary Orf, who led the Bills at the season-opening meet at Wash. U., posted a 5K time of 18:50, which was good for a 23rd-place finish. For the men, Brian Holdmeyer and Neal Rodrigues finished 30th and 54th, respectively, as SLU placed 14th out of 33 squads. What to Watch For: A competitive field awaits the Billikens at the 72nd annual Cowboy Jamboree, the oldest consecutively run cross country race in the nation. Host Oklahoma State is ranked No. 2 on the men's side just ahead of No. 3 Indiana, which will also participate in the meet. On the women's side, nationally ranked squads Texas Tech and Northern Arizona highlight a competitive field that also includes NCAA Division II power Abilene Christian. Down the Road: SLU competes in its regular-season finale Friday, Oct. 17, at the Bradley Classic. This year's Atlantic 10 Championships will be held in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 1. Select athletes will return to Stillwater to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional on Nov. 15. 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.
Good Golly Miss Molly: Junior Molly Burke (Plano, Texas/Ursuline) was the Billikens' fifth finisher at the National Catholic Championships with a 5K time of 20:21, which was just a second off her personal best. Above the Fray: Sophomore Sara Fraley (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) finished 58th overall at the National Catholic Championships with a 5K time of 19:32. M&Ms: Senior Mary Moloney (Bay Village, Ohio/St. Joseph) placed first among her teammates and 18th overall at Notre Dame, crossing the 5K line in 18:42 ... will look to come close to her 6K personal best of 21:43 this weekend at the Cowboy Jamboree. The Hills: Freshman Hilary Orf (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette) placed five spots behind Moloney at Notre Dame, finishing 23rd overall while covering the 5K course in 18:50 ... 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. Body of Work: Junior Laura Peabody (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) placed third among the Bills and 30th in the National Catholic Championships' 5K with a time of 19:02.
Re-Verzal of Fortune: Senior Lauren Verzal (Pewaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial) finished 39th overall at the National Catholic Championships with a time of 19:13, which was good for fourth among her teammates. Will to Win: Freshman Will Herrington (Sugar Land, Texas/Strake Jesuit) finished the National Catholic Championships' 8K with a time of 28:24, which was fourth among his teammates. Holding Pattern: Sophomore Brian Holdmeyer (Washington, Mo./Borgia) continues to lead the Billiken men's squad ... finished first among his teammates and 30th overall at the National Catholic Championships with an 8K time of 26:22. Return of the Mack: Freshman Stephen Mackey (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) placed seventh among the Billikens at the National Catholic Championships with a time of 28:58.
Lightning Rod: Junior Neal Rodrigues (Alameda, Calif./St. Joseph Notre Dame) finished second among his teammates for the second meet in a row at Notre Dame, crossing in 26:53, which was good for 54th overall. Red Ross: Sophomore Kyle Ross (Alton, Ill./Alton) placed third among his teammates at the National Catholic Championships, crossing the 8K line in 28:19. J-Dub: Junior John Woodman (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan) posted an 8K time of 28:28 at the National Catholic Championships, which was the sixth-fastest time among his teammates. Bell's Bits: "This is going to be a competitive meet," head coach Jon Bell said. "This meet will give us a good indication of where we are as a team and how we stack up against regional opponents. If the women finish anywhere in the top 10, that would be a very good result for them. They have trained well this past week, and they have the capability of finishing well. As for the men, they know they underachieved the last time out, so I am looking for them to just be competitive. Again, they had great workouts recently, and they are ready to race." |
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