Owls Running, Not Walking, In Memphis
10/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Oct. 30, 2008
• Official Championship Web Site
The Rice Owls men's cross country competes this Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Conference USA Championship in Memphis, Tenn. Action takes place at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex with the women's 5000 meter race starting at 10 a.m. and the men's 8000 meter race beginning at 11:00 a.m.
In El Paso, Texas, in 2007, the Owls placed four runners among the top 25 to finish third at the Conference USA Cross Country Championships for the second-straight year.
Rice has four experienced runners returning from last year's competition in Brett Olson, Brad Morris, Justin Maxwell, and Scott Zivick. Also competing for the Owls are Simon Bucknell, Aaron Robson, Alex Solomon, and Michael Trejo.
2007 Conference USA - Rice Results
17. Brett Olson, 26:48.6
18. Brad Morris, 26:56.1
21. Justin Maxwell, 27:15.5
23. Scott Zivick, 27:29.6
39. Colby Keithan, 28:35.8
41. John Buck, 28:50.6
2007 Conference USA Team Results
1. UTEP, 15
2. Tulsa, 42
3. Rice, 110
4. Marshall, 116
5. Houston, 128
6. UCF, 131
7. East Carolina, 201
8. Memphis, 206
Rice Individual Conference Champions
1973 SWC Jeff Wells 19:12
1974 SWC Jeff Wells 19:12
1977 SWC Mike Novelli 29:34
1979 SWC Mike Novelli 31:27
2004 WAC Marcel Hewamudalige 24:57
Rice at Conference Cross Country Meets
2007 C-USA 3rd/9
2006 C-USA 3rd/8
2005 C-USA 2nd/8
2004 WAC 1st/6
2003 WAC 4th/7
2001 WAC 1st/8
2000 WAC 5th/7
1999 WAC 1st/7
1998 WAC 9th/12
1997 WAC 11th/13
1996 WAC 12th/12
1995 SWC 6th/8
1994 SWC 5th/8
1993 SWC 4th/8
1992 SWC 6th/8
1991 SWC 4th/8
1990 SWC 5th/9
1989 SWC 8th/9
1988 SWC 6th/9
1987 SWC 2nd/8
1986 SWC 4th/9
1985 SWC 3rd/9
1984 SWC 4th/9
1983 SWC 7th/8
1982 SWC 4th/8
1981 SWC 3rd/8
1980 SWC 6th/9
1979 SWC 2nd/8
1978 SWC 2nd/9
1977 SWC 2nd/9
1976 SWC 5th/8
1975 SWC 4th
1974 SWC 2nd
1973 SWC 3rd
1972 SWC 2nd
1971 SWC 3rd
1970 SWC 6th
1968 SWC 3rd
1966 SWC 4th
1963 SWC 5th
1936 SWC 3rd
1932 SWC 3rd
1931 SWC 3rd
1928 SWC 1st
1926 SWC 1st
Men's Race Preview provided by Conference USA On the men's side, Tulsa secured a No. 16 national rank after taking seventh-place honors at the prestigious NCAA Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Ind., the same course that will host nationals on Nov. 24. UTEP stands at No. 4 in the Mountain Region and Rice rounds out the top-10 in the South Central Region.
UTEP men aim to return to championship form Saturday in an attempt to capture a fourth-straight conference title, while Rice women are looking for their first back-to-back championship since joining the league in 2005.
UTEP senior Patrick Mutai won individual titles in 2005 and 2006 and will attempt for a third and final title in his collegiate campaign. Fellow senior teammate Japheth Ng'ojoy has been the Miners' top finisher this season and push Mutai for individual medalist honors.
UTEP's attempt for a four-peat won't be easy with the Golden Hurricane in pursuit of the championship title. Led by senior John Beattie, Tulsa could surprise the audience at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Beattie has led the Golden Hurricane to three top-10 finishes and will look to better his sixth-place finish from a year ago.
A pair of freshman in East Carolina's Zack Montijo and Houston's Nate Pineda will be strong contenders for the Freshman of the Year title.
Montijo has paced the Pirates all season and picked up C-USA Athlete of the Week honors after leading the Pirates to a second-place finish at the Adidas Wolfpack Invitational in his first collegiate race. Likewise, Pineda picked up two C-USA Athlete of the Week honors and was the Cougars' front runner throughout the season. Pineda set a personal-best record of 26:06 in the 8K Disney World Cross Country Classic where he finished 15th overall and led the Cougars to a seventh-place finish among a field of 38 teams.
Players Mentioned
