TicketsOct. 28, 2011
Championship Central | Live Results | Video | Bearcats "Expect to Win" BIG EAST Titles
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati men's and women's cross country teams will compete at the BIG EAST championships on Saturday. The meet will be hosted by the University of Louisville and will take place at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park.
The men's 8,000-meter race will take place at 11 a.m. and will be followed by the women's 6,000-meter race at 11:50. The competition will feature 14 men's and 16 women's team, including 2010 women's national champion Villanova University.
The Bearcats men's team has won four of the five meets in which it has entered this year, including winning the All-Ohio championship for the first time since 2001. Senior Eric Finan has been the top finisher at four meets and was third in the Pre-Nationals meet on Oct. 16. Finan was named BIG EAST Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Oct. 18. He also broke the course record at the Queen City Invitational on Sept. 9. Junior Oliver Book has been overall runner-up behind Finan twice (Queen City and All-Ohio) and has been the Bearcats' No. 2 runner four times. Sophomore Kevin Fink has been UC's No. 3 runner in the past four meets.
The Bearcats women's team finished third at the Queen City and fifth at the Commodore Classic and All-Ohio championships. The squad was 30th at the Pre-Nationals. Senior Alison Zukowski has been the Bearcat's top runner in three of four meets. Her best individual finish was third (Queen City). She also was fifth at the Commodore Classic. Freshman Emily Clay was UC's top finisher at All-Ohio (10th) and was the No. 2 runner three other times. She was seventh at Queen City. Junior Cortney Staruch was twice the No. 3 runner at the Queen City and All-Ohio.
The women's competition is stacked with seven teams ranked in the United State Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 30 poll, including four of the top 10. Villanova is ranked fourth, Georgetown University is No. 6, Providence College is No. 7, Syracuse University is No. 9, West Virginia University is No. 18, University of Notre Dame is No. 23 and University of Connecticut is No. 28. Three nationally ranked men's teams will highlight the field, including No. 14 Providence, No. 16 Villanova and No. 29 Notre Dame. The Bearcats aren't ranked nationally, but are No. 12 in the Great Lakes Region men's teams ranking.