Weekly Release #6
10/24/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday, Oct. 29 -- at Big Ten Championships (Madison, Wis.), 10:45 a.m. CST
Saturday, Nov. 11 -- at NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 11 a.m.
This Week: Big Ten Championships
The No. 12-ranked Michigan women's cross country team will travel to Madison, Wis., for the 2000 Big Ten Conference Cross Country Championships on Sunday (Oct. 29). The University of Wisconsin will serve as the host, and the 5,000-meter race starts at 10:45 a.m. CST at Yahara Hills Golf Course. The last time Wisconsin hosted the Big Ten Championships (1989), Indiana took the team title with Michigan in third.
There are three Big Ten teams in the top 25 of the FinishLynx/NCAA Division I Poll (as of Oct. 16). No. 3-ranked Wisconsin will be going for a record-tying sixth consecutive Big Ten title. Wisconsin's 25 points in 1999 was 70 points ahead of second-place Michigan. The Wolverines are ranked 12th and Minnesota has the 16th spot in the nation.
Individuals to Watch
The individual title could go back to Erica Palmer of Wisconsin, who is the defending Big Ten and NCAA individual champion and finished almost 20 seconds ahead of the pack last year at the Big Ten meet. Wisconsin's Bethany Brewster is another returning first-team All-Big Ten selection from 1999, and has the conference's third best time of this season.
Michigan's own Katie Jazwinski (Grand Rapids, Mich./West Catholic HS) looks to stake a claim in the race for number one, as she has the fourth best time and three of the top 10 times this year in the Big Ten. Teammate Katy Radkewich (Hudson, Ohio/Beaumont HS), who has the fifth fastest finish in the Big Ten, may look to surprise as she continues her great junior season.
Michigan Success
In each of the last 12 season, the Wolverines have placed in the top three at the Big Ten Championships. Michigan has three team titles in its history, and they came in consecutive years (1992, '93, '94). U-M is second in league titles behind Wisconsin (12). U-M also is second to Wisconsin for individual titles with four. Katie McGregor (1995-98) has two of those titles for the Maize and Blue.
Harvey: Been There Before
Assistant Coach Karen Harvey (1991-94) was part of the last Michigan team to win the Big Ten team title in 1994 and had a third-place individual finish.
Probable Wolverines at the Big Ten Championships
Head coach Mike McGuire's lineup for the Big Ten Championships includes:
Katie Jazwinski
Katy Radkewich
Juile Froud (St. Marys, Ontario/St. Marys D.C.V.I.)
Katie Easton (Fort Gratiot, Mich./Port Huron Northern HS)
Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS)
Jane Martineau (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant HS)
Lisa Ouellet (Sudbury, Ontario/Lasalle HS)
Katie Ryan (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS)
Erin White (Battle Creek, Mich./Central HS)
5,000 is Enough
For the first time since the NCAA began sponsoring women's cross country championships in 1981, the national championship race will increase from 5,000 meters to 6,000 meters. However, the Big Ten Championship will remain at the 5,000 meters based on a vote by conference coaches.
FinishLynx Women's Cross Country Poll (10/16/00)
Team Pts Prev 1. Brigham Young (12) 300 3 2. Stanford 288 1 3. Wisconsin 275 6 4. Arizona State 262 14 5. Colorado 250 2 6. Washington 236 4 7. Boston College 230 10 8. Arizona 207 15 9. Kansas State 190 5 10. Georgetown 176 7 11. Arkansas 166 12 12. MICHIGAN 159 13 13. North Carolina State 158 8 14. Colorado State 140 17 15. Yale 138 11 16. Weber State 123 NR 17. Providence 117 16 18. Minnesota 107 9 19. Villanova 90 18 20. Marquette 72 20 21. Texas A&M 64 19 22. Brown 48 21 23. Wake Forest 41 NR 24. West Virginia 32 NR 25. Virginia 20 NR
Contact: Steve Grialou (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
