Weekly Release #9

Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 16 -- at NCAA Great Lakes Regional (West Lafayette, Ind.), 11 a.m.
Monday, Nov. 25 -- at NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.), Noon

This Week: NCAA Great Lakes Regional ...
The University of Michigan women's cross country team will return to the campus of Purdue University this weekend for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in West Lafayette, Ind. The Wolverines will take to the 6,000-meter Varsity Cross Country Course Saturday morning (Nov. 16) at 11 a.m. Two weeks ago the Maize and Blue claimed its fourth Big Ten Conference championship on the 5,000-meter version of the same course.

The Meaning of the Regional Meet ...
Nine different regional meets will be held around the nation this weekend. The top two finishing teams at each regional will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships on Monday, Nov. 25 in Terre Haute, Ind. With 18 teams earning automatic bids, the NCAA will then round out the field of 31 by making 13 at-large selections based on the teams' performance over the year. The top four individuals from each regional meet, not on a qualifying team, will earn invitations to Terre Haute, provided they finish in the top 20 of their race.

Regional Experience ...
Of the Wolverines seven harriers running in this Saturday's (Nov. 16) Great Lakes Regional, four have NCAA regional experience. Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Newport HS) has the most tenure for the Maize and Blue as she has competed in the race as both a freshman and a sophomore with a best finish of 29th (21:54.5) in 2001. Also returning from the 2001 team is senior captain Jeanne Spink (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS) and junior/sophomore Andrea Parker (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) who completed the course 30th (21:56.0) and 51st (22:24.1), respectively. Senior Jane Martineau (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant HS) did not run last year, but she did compete on the 2000 squad and helped the Wolverines to their last NCAA Championships appearance with a 23rd-place finish (21:54.7).

Last Time on the Path: Big Ten Conference Championships ...
The Wolverines captured their fourth Big Ten title under head coach Mike McGuire at the conference meet (Nov. 3) two weeks ago on the Varsity Cross County Course in West Lafayette, Ind. Michigan received first team All-Big Ten performances by freshman Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) and junior Lindsey Gallo, who finished fifth (17:47.8) and seventh (17:49.4), respectively. Andrea Parker placed 17th (18:09.1), Jane Martineau finished 20th (18:12.1), captain Jeanne Spink crossed the line in 21st (18:15.7), while sophomores Chelsea Loomis (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) and Sarah Pizzo (Golden, Colo./Mullen HS) finished 23rd (18:17.6) and 26th (18:19.3), respectively.

Newcomer of the Year ...
Rebecca Walter was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year following the Big Ten Championships (Nov. 3). Walter led all conference freshmen across the finish line as she placed fifth in the race with a time of 17:47.8. It marks the sixth time a Wolverine freshman has been named conference newcomer of the year. Jennifer Armstrong (1990), Deanna Arnill (1994), Katie McGregor (1995), Marcy Akard (1996) and Julia Froud (1997) are Michigan's other five honorees.

Leader of the Best ...
Michigan head coach Mike McGuire was honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year after his Wolverines won the conference title two weeks ago in West Lafayette, Ind. The honor was the fourth of McGuire's career at U-M. He earned three consecutive conference honors as he led the Maize and Blue to conference championships from 1992-94.

First Team First ...
In her first year wearing the Maize and Blue, freshman Rebecca Walter earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with a fifth-place finish at 17:47.8. Walter is the first freshman to earn first-team conference since the Arnill twins accomplished the feat in 1994. Deanne and Pauline finished first and fourth, respectively, at the 1994 Big Ten Championships, helping the Wolverines to the conference title.

First Team Times Two ...
Junior Lindsey Gallo ran to her second straight first-team All-Big Ten selection with a seventh-place finish at the conference championships in West Lafayette, Ind. Gallo is the seventh Wolverine to earn first-team honors more than once. Gallo earned the honor in 2001 as well.

In the Polls ...
Following their fourth Big Ten Championship, the Wolverines jumped 12 spots national poll. Michigan is currently ranked as the No. 12 team in the nation according to the FinishLynx Women's Cross Country Poll.

No. Team Region Pts. Prev. 1. Brigham Young (12) MT 389 1 2. Stanford (1) W 378 2 3. Colorado MT 364 3 4. Wake Forest SE 345.5 4 5. Notre Dame GL 332 8 6. North Carolina State SE 328.5 6 7. Georgetown MA 319 5 8. Columbia NE 281 12 9. Northern Arizona MT 277 7 10. Arkansas SC 270 10 11. Virginia SE 250 16 12. MICHIGAN GL 229 24 13. Missouri MW 221 11 14. Duke SE 216 13 15. Providence NE 203 14 16. Villanova MA 200 22 17. Arizona State W 194 17 18. North Carolina SE 179 15 19. Michigan State GL 172 23 20. Indiana GL 137 18 21. Washington W 127 25 22. Marquette GL 106 20 23. UCLA W 97 19 24. Penn State MA 75 -- 25. Boston College NE 69 30 26. Toledo GL 62 26 27. James Madison SE 52 -- 28. Colorado State MT 43 29 29. Texas SC 40 28 30. Wisconsin GL 23 9

Also Receiving Votes: William & Mary, Northwestern, S.W. Missouri State, Dartmouth and Yale

The Mike McGuire File ...
Mike McGuire is in his 11th season as a head coach for the Michigan women's cross country team. McGuire led the Wolverines to their fourth Big Ten Conference title as the Maize and Blue took the top spot two weeks ago in West Lafayette, Ind. In his first four seasons, McGuire won three consecutive Big Ten Conference and NCAA District IV championships, and finished as high as second at the 1994 NCAA National Championship. All told, McGuire's Michigan teams have 10 top-two finishes at the Big Ten Championships and eight top-two finishes at the regional championships, winning the regional meet in 1993, '94 and '95. His teams have finished among the nation's top 10 five times at the NCAA Championships.

Up Next ...
Depending on the Wolverines' finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, U-M could travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Championships on the 6,000-meter LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. The NCAA will announce its selections Monday (Nov. 18). The meet is scheduled for a noon start on Monday (Nov. 25).

Contact: Gene Skidmore, 734-647-4237