29th Ranked Women's Cross Country Team Heads to Minnesota
9/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Sept. 23, 2010
Griak Invitational Information
The 29th ranked Rice women's cross country team competes this Sat., Sept. 25 at Minnesota's 25th Annual Roy Griak Invitational. The race is held at the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course, Larpenteur Ave. and Cleveland, St. Paul (2275 W. Larpenteur Ave.). Head coach Jim Bevan will also send a contingent to compete at the Islander Splash hosted by Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Fri., Sept. 24.
The Owls are also ranked second in the South Central Region.
Competing for the Owls at Minnesota are seniors Britany Williams and Nicole Mericle, juniors Allison Pye, Halsey Fowler, and Marie Thompson, sophomores Heather Olson and Keltie John, and freshmen Farrah Madanay and Meredith Gamble.
NCAA Division I teams competing include: Arizona (men and women), Arizona State (women), Baylor (men and women), Boise State (men and women), Boston College (women), BYU (men), Central Michigan (men and women), Coastal Carolina (women), Colorado State (men and women), Drake (men and women), Duke (men and women), Iowa State (men and women), McNeese State (men), Minnesota (men and women), Naval Academy (men and women), New Mexico (men and women), North Carolina State (men and women), North Dakota State (women), Northern Illinois (women), Oklahoma (men), Oregon State (women), Penn State (men and women), Providence (women), Rice (women,) South Carolina (women), South Dakota State (men and women), Toledo (women), Utah Valley State (men and women).
The event is named for Roy Griak, who is in his 15th season as the Golden Gophers' full-time track and field/cross country administrative assistant. He had previously served as Minnesota's cross country and track & field coach for 33 years from 1963-1996.
A letterwinner in both cross country and track and field during his collegiate running career for the Golden Gophers, Griak earned his bachelor's degree in education from the U of M in 1949, adding his master's degree in 1950. Griak went on to teach at Nicolett High School and then at the Mankato Public Schools before he began teaching and coaching at St. Louis Park High School in 1953.
Players Mentioned
