Colorado State University Athletics
Cross country travels to Mountain West Championships
10/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 26, 2007
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The CSU cross country programs travel to the Mountain West Conference Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., this weekend after fires around San Diego forced a change of venue for the event. The championship meet now will be run at the University of New Mexico North Golf Course. Start time for the men's race will be 10 a.m. MT on Saturday followed by the women's race at 11 a.m. MT.
CSU's women's cross country earned its first-ever Mountain Region No. 1 ranking two weeks ago and remains at the top of the regional standings. In addition to being ranked first in the region, the Rams are the No. 12 team nationally after a series of quality races.
Jeremy Freed was the top finisher for CSU in the last two races. Late-season schedule changes mean that the Rams have had several weeks of rest leading up the MWC Championships. Andres Urbina was a key for the Rams at the Wyoming Invitational and the Colorado State Classic. Also running in the championships for the Rams are Scott Sanders, Kip Taylor, Jeff Wahl, Grant Wahl, Steve Swartz and Jake Keyser.
"It has been about four weeks since we have really run," said Head Coach Bryan Berryhill. "The team's spirits are best in the last two weeks. Hopefully we can go in with confidence and place somewhere in the top three."
Senior April Thomas has led the Rams' women this season and was the Mountain West Conference's highest finisher at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet. Thomas has earned MWC Runner of the Week honors twice this season. Heather Loseke, who earned Athlete of the Week honors after winning the Wyoming Invitational, has been a solid runner this season for CSU. Joining Thomas and Loseke at the championships for the Rams will be A¬¬llison Gohl, Kristen Hemphill, Kirsten Anthony, Lauren Kleppin, Danielle Rawlings, Melissa Thomas and Chantelle Dron.
"I think we have raced very solid and very well all year," Berryhill said. "If we go in and run like we have the last two meets I feel like we will be OK."
Following the Mountain West Championships the cross country programs will hope to race at the NCAA Regionals in Terre Haute, Ind., in two weeks.