XC: Three Earn All-Conference Accolades at American Championships

Oct. 29, 2016

Results

WEST CHESTER, Ohio - The University of Cincinnati cross country program put together two solid races Saturday at the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championships with the men placing third overall and the women climbing to sixth in the meet hosted by UC at Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester, Ohio. Three Bearcats placed in the Top 15 of their respective races to earn all-conference recognition, including the men's duo of Toby Loveridge (7th) and Dan Huben (13th), and women's runner Juliana Madzia, who raced to a 13th-place showing.

The men, after finishing fifth last year, returned to the Top 3 in the conference standings after taking runner-up honors in both 2013 and 2014. The women, however, finished sixth overall, marking their best finish in the American race and their highest finish since taking sixth place in the 2004 Conference-USA meet.

Overall, SMU won the women's race with 45 points to edge Tulsa, who was the runner-up with 47 points. Memphis (96), UConn (145) and UCF (157) rounded out the Top 5 with the Bearcats (180), Tulane (201), Temple (216), Houston (220), USF (236) and East Carolina (241) rounding out the women's standings. On the men's side, Tulsa ran away with the team title, scoring just 22 points with Tulane (101) taking runner-up honors. The Bearcats were eight points off the pace for runner-up honors as they were third with 109 points and were followed in the Top 5 by UConn (114) and Temple (121). The remaining teams in the field included Memphis (123), ECU (143), Houston (215) and USF (231).

// WOMEN'S 6,000m
The women led off the day with an impressive showing as seven of their nine runners ran faster than 23 minutes, including Madzia, who covered the course in 21:19.7. By earning all-conference honors, she is the first Bearcats woman to place in the Top 15 in the American meet and posted the best finish since Ashley Earman took 27th in the inaugural American meet.

Emma Hensley was second across the line for the Bearcats as she was 43rd overall in 22:33.9, leading a group of runners that included five more Bearcats in the next 12 positions. Meg Westerheide was 43rd in 22:35.2; Marina Wrede, in her freshman campaign, placed 45th in 22:36.9; and Alexis Anton was 50th in 22:42.9 to round out the scoring positions. Also running well for UC were Hanna Christ, who as 53rd in 22:45.7; Grace O'Donnell, who was 55th in 22:47.0; Tessa Ward, who was 68th in 23:24.0; and Lianne Masquelier, who was 89th in 24:30.1.

Historically, the women's sixth place finish marks the first time in four years running at the American Championships that UC has not finished 10th or 11th overall. Since 1995, the Bearcats women have finished in the Top 6 on seven other times with the most recent being a sixth-place showing at the Conference-USA meet in 2004. Their finish this year is tied for the sixth-best in program history behind two third-place, one fourth and two fifth-place finishes, all coming in C-USA competitions.

// MEN'S 8,000m
For the second year in a row, Loveridge led the charge for the men as he matched his 2015 finish by placing seventh again in 2016, running 24:41.8 over the 8,000m course. An all-conference honoree for the second year in a row, Loveridge was joined on the podium by Huben, who earned his first all-conference accolade by running 25:09.9 to take 13th overall. This marks just the second time UC has had multiple all-conference honorees in the same meet as members of the American after three men placed in the Top 15 at the 2013 meet. It also marks the fourth year in a row that a UC man has placed in the Top 10 with Evan Baum (6th in 2013) and Kevin Fink (5th in 2015) joining Loveridge on that list.

Rounding out the Top 5 scorers for the Bearcats were Nick Grismer, who was 25th in 25:43.2; Spencer Clark, who was 28th in 25:59.0; and John Murdock, who placed 37th in 26:12.2. The remaining Bearcats in the race included Michael Vitucci (40th in 26:19.3), Seamus Collins (42nd in 26:21.0) and Anthony Car (48th in 26:51.8). Frank Pierce also started the race, but was unable to complete the 8,000m circuit.

// NEXT UP
Following one week off from competition, the Bearcats will travel to Madison, Wis., to compete in the 2016 NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships, the meet used to determine the entrants into the NCAA Championships. The meet, hosted by Wisconsin, will be held November 11.

2016 American Athletic Conference Championships
Voice of America MetroPark - West Chester, Ohio
Race #1 - Women's 6,000m Championship
Team Standings:
1. SMU - 45
2. Tulsa - 47
3. Memphis - 96
4. UConn - 145
5. UCF - 157
6. CINCINNATI - 180
7. Tulane - 201
8. Temple - 216
9. Houston - 220
10. USF - 236
11. East Carolina - 241

Individual Results:
13. Juliana Madzia - 21:19.7 - All-Conference
42. Emma Hensley - 22:33.9
43. Meg Westerheide - 22:35.2
45. Marina Wrede - 22:36.9
50. Alexis Anton - 22:42.9
53. Hannah Christ - 22:45.7
55. Grace O'Donnell - 22:47.0
68. Tessa Ward - 23:24.0
89. Lianne Masquelier - 24:30.1

Race #2 - Men's 8,000m Championship
Team Standings:
1. Tulsa - 22
2. Tulane - 101
3. CINCINNATI - 109
4. UConn - 114
5. Temple - 121
6. Memphis - 123
7. East Carolina - 143
8. Houston - 215
9. USF - 231

Individual Overall Results:
7. Toby Loveridge - 24:41.8 - All-Conference
13. Dan Huben - 25:09.9 -All-Conference
25. Nick Grismer - 25:43.2
28. Spencer Clark - 25:59.0
37. John Murdock - 26:12.2
40. Michael Vitucci - 26:19.3
42. Seamus Collins - 26:21.0
48. Anthony Car - 26:51.8
Frank Pierce - did not finish