Men's & Women's Cross Country: 1999 Year In Review

Optimism was high for the Bearcats in 1999 as six of the team's top runners returned. Add to that mix one of the best freshman classes in recent years and Cincinnati's men's and women's cross country teams exceeded expectations.

Cincinnati Captures First Team Title 
Both Bearcat squads started the season off strong finishing second at the Miami (OH) Invitational. Sophomore Angie Kist led the pack for the women, registering a third place result while senior Tim Rieger paced the men with a 10th place finish. UC continued its quick start the following week as both teams captured titles at the Mel Brodt Invitational in Bowling Green, Ohio. Kist and Rieger once again paced their respective teams, registering second place individual performances.

Facing larger fields at the Sam Bell and Notre Dame Invitationals, UC's women recorded two top-10 finishes and the men placed in the top-15 in both events. Sophomore Vincent Fries emerged as the Bearcats' top runner during this period, finishing 35th and 52nd, while Kist continued to run toward team MVP honors, topping the squad with 24th and 13th place results. Senior P.J. Ball also established herself as one of the team's most consistent runner, registering two top-25 finishes.

Bearcats Sweep Queen City Invitational 
At the All-Ohio Championships , the women recorded their highest showing, placing second, while the men finished fourth. Kist and Ball paced the team, recording eighth and 11th place results. Hosting the Queen City Invitational in the final meet before the conference championships, the Bearcats proved to be the favorites as both squads captured team titles. Kist also won the individual crown, finishing first in a time of 18:19. Freshman Chris Reis also placed strong, breaking away from the pack to place fourth in a season-best time of 25:45.

Reis Named Freshman of the Year 
A win at Mt. Airy Forest seemed to energize both squads for the Conference USA meet. Kist and Ball led the women's team as both earned all-conference honors with third and eighth place finishes. Reis led the men's team, placing 15th to earn all-conference honors and was named Freshman of the Year. Overall, the women placed third while the men finished fourth.

Kist Leads Women To High Finish At NCAA Regional 
Kist closed out the Bearcats' 1999 season with a 25th place performance at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Ball was the team's second overall performer, finishing 33rd. Cincinnati's eighth place showing in Durham, N.C. was the program's highest at the event. Fries led the men to a 13th place result after placing 62nd.