Colorado State University Athletics
Cross Country travels to Ogden for NCAA Regional race
11/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 9, 2007
OGDEN, Utah - No. 11 in the nation, No. 1 in the Mountain Region and Mountain West Conference champions does not guarantee the Colorado State women's cross country team a spot at the NCAA Championship, but the team can earn that spot with a good race at Saturday's NCAA Mountain Regionals to be held at the Riverside Golf Course. The men's 10K race will begin at 11 a.m. and the women's 6K will start at 12:15 p.m.
While the CSU men's squad has struggled at times this season they are still ranked ninth in the Mountain Region. Jeremy Freed has led the Rams in the last two meets. Jake Keyser earned Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors as the men's team finished in fourth place at the MWC Championship. Also competing for the men's team are Scott Sanders, Kip Taylor and Steve Swartz.
"We just want to get something positive out of this meet for next year," said Head Coach Bryan Berryhill. "Andres Urbina has done a good job all year and been consistent for us. He is the lone senior and this is a young squad which gives us the ability to look for something positive for next year."
A pair of talented seniors leads the women's squad. Heather Loseke and April Thomas have both won races for the Rams. Thomas earned MWC Athlete of the Year honors after winning the conference individual title. Loseke won the first race of the season and both have earned MWC Runner of the Week honors. Joining the seniors are Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Allison Gohl, Kirsten Anthony, Kristen Hemphill, Melissa Thomas and Chantelle Dron.
"The rankings are nice to have, but the goal of this weekend is to do well enough to get to nationals," Berryhill said. "For the girls the goal may be to win the meet but the goal really is to get to nationals. The leadership of the seniors has been tremendous all year; they have to get the most credit for why this team is as successful as it is."
Colorado State needs to finish in the top two spots in the regional race to qualify automatically for the NCAA Championships. The Rams can earn an at-large spot based a complex points system if they finish outside the top two spots.