Bearcats Compete in BIG EAST Championships

Bearcats Compete in BIG EAST ChampionshipsBearcats Compete in BIG EAST Championships

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HEADING EAST: The University of Cincinnati cross country teams will travel to Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, N.Y. on Friday, Oct. 28 for the 2005 BIG EAST Conference Championships. The women's 6K race begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by the men's 8K race at 1:10 p.m. The meet will be televised nationally on College Sports Television on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 9:00 p.m.

2005 BIG EAST FIELD: The Bearcats will have their work cut out for them in their first BIG EAST Championships. The conference includes some of the nation's toughest teams, such as Notre Dame's fourth-ranked women's team and fifth-ranked men's squad (Oct. 18). Other nationally ranked women's teams include No. 16 Providence College, and No. 19 Marquette. Georgetown's men place ninth in the polls.

In addition to these powerhouses, Cincinnati will face teams from the University of Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, the University of South Florida, Syracuse, Villanova, and women's teams from St. John's and West Virginia.

REST UP: Cincinnati fought through fatigue at the Pre-National Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. on Saturday, Oct. 15, but was unable to come up with the results it was hoping for. The Bearcat men failed to pull any upsets of ranked teams, a goal the squad has been aiming for throughout season. The women were unable to maintain the success they had over teams earlier in the season, falling to Miami (Ohio) and Ohio University. Both squads will be fully rested and will look to rebound this weekend at the conference meet.

GETTING BETTER WITH AGE: Although they didn't have the team success they were looking for in 2005, several individuals made major improvements over their 2004 Pre-National Championships results. Senior Karen Berling, who placed 99th in a time of 22:08 this year, improved her finish by 64 places and 34 seconds. Junior Cristy Doll placed 118th this season, a drastic improvement over her 208th-place finish a year ago. On the men's side, junior Taylor Garvin (25:00) ran a full minute faster than in 2004 and moved up in the standings by 84 places.

UP NEXT: Cincinnati will travel back to Indiana for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 12. The meet will be held on the Indiana Cross Country Course in Bloomington. The men's 10K race begins at 11:00 a.m. and the women's 6K race is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.