TicketsNov. 16, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
STRONG FINISHES: The women's squad made one its strongest starts in history by winning its first three meets - the Dayton Flyer 5K, Miami Invitational, and the Queen City Invitational - and taking third place at the next two competitions - the Notre Dame Invitational and All-Ohio Championships. Senior Karen Berling led the Bearcats in each of these races, including posting a first-place finish overall at Dayton.
The men's top finish came at the Queen City Invite, where they retained the title for the fifth consecutive year. Other notable meets include the season-opening Dayton Flyer 5K, where the team took second place, and their sixth-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships.
MAKING IT A HABIT: By winning both the men and women's races, the Bearcats continued their dominance of the Queen City Invitational, but did so through a pair of firsts. Sophomore Nichole Leslie and junior Taylor Garvin earned their first career victories at the home meet. Leslie's win gave Cincinnati its second consecutive individual title, while Garvin's success was the fifth consecutive individual title on the men's side.
THE FIRST TIME: In their first BIG EAST Championships, the Bearcats made quite the impact. The men finished an impressive sixth place in a conference led by two of the nation's top-10 teams. Junior Kevin Schwarz, who had been held back by injury most of the season, returned to the top spot for the Bearcats. The Bearcat women tied for 10th in a race that featured five nationally ranked teams. Berling continued to lead the squad with a 29th place finish.
YOUTHFUL SUCCESS: Cincinnati's success in 2005 relied heavily on the strength of its youth. For the women, freshmen Ellen Knopf and Justine Yauch started strong. Knopf recorded three top-10 finishes to begin the season and Yauch finished in the top 25 each of her three races. When the duo fell to injuries and illness, freshman Megan Knapp picked up the pace. Knapp scored in all but two meets, and her 48th-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships put her among the top-10 freshmen in the conference.
Like the women, the men found success behind the leadership of sophomore John Dixon and freshman Rick King. Along with junior Taylor Garvin as the team's top veteran, the Bearcats relied on their youth throughout the season. Dixon earned three top-five finishes at the start of the year, but illness took him out of action at the end. Rick, who was joined by brother Randy as a top newcomer, scored in all eight meets.