TicketsCross Country Set For Conference Championships
Contact: Jeremy Martin
10/28/2004
Senior Eric Bair |
The University of Cincinnati cross country teams will compete in the Conference USA Championship meet, hosted by DePaul, on Oct. 30 at Palos Hills Forest Preserve in Chicago, Ill. The women?s race begins at 10:30 a.m. CT with the men taking off at 11:30 a.m. CT.
THE CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP: Marquette swept the team titles last season with the Golden Eagle women winning their fourth straight team title and six of the last nine. East Carolina?s Kyle MacKenzie and TCU?s Mary Kinyanjui, the 2003 individual winners, will return to defend their crowns this season.
CINCINNATI IN THE RANKINGS: The Cincinnati men?s team has been ranked 10th in the Great Lakes Region by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association.
BAIR ESSENTIALS: Senior Eric Bair has been improving every week on the course. He posted a season-best 25:13 at the Pre-National meet on Oct. 16 in Terre Haute, Ind., placing 86th in a field of over 250 runners. Bair was named the Conference USA Athlete of the Week on Oct. 12 for his efforts at the All-Ohio meet. Bair finished ninth in a strong field to lead the Bearcats to a second-place finish.
RUTHIAN EFFORTS: Senior Ruth Limo will look to continue her stellar season with an individual championship at the conference meet. With five top-three finishes, including three first-place finishes, and a strong showing at the pre-national meet, Limo should be a contender for the conference title.
CINCINNATI AT THE C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP: The Bearcat men finished second last season, while the women placed sixth. Andy Wietmarschen was the top finished for UC, placing 12th and earning All-C-USA honors. The Bearcats placed six runners among the top 26 places. All six finished within 37 seconds of one another. On the women?s side, Ruth Limo placed 19th to pace Cincinnati. The Bearcat men won the first two Conference USA Championships in 1995 and 1996. The women are looking for their first win in their last season of C-USA competition.
C-USA HONORS SCHNIER, REIS: Head coach Bill Schnier and former athlete Chris Reis have earned Conference USA All-Decade awards announced by the conference office on Oct. 27.
Schnier was named the conference's Coach of the Decade. He was twice named C-USA coach of the year, and has mentored two conference champions and two freshmen of the year.
A four-time All-Conference USA selection, Reis won two All-Ohio championships and was named C-USA Athlete of the week six times in his career. Reis placed in the top four in three of his four years at the conference championship, finishing 15th in 1999, 3rd in 2000, 4th in 2001 and 4th in 2002. Reis qualified for three NCAA championships, finishing 136th in 2000, 118th in 2001, and 134th in 2002.
COMING UP: On Nov. 13, Cincinnati will compete in the Great Lakes Regional meet at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti, Mich., hosted by Eastern Michigan. The meet, featuring many of the top teams in the country, will begin at 11 a.m.