Weekly Release #10
11/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Monday, Nov. 25 -- at NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.), Noon
This Week: NCAA Championships ...
The University of Michigan women's cross country team travels to Terre Haute, Ind. for the third time this season as the Wolverines compete at the NCAA Championships for the 11th time in the past 13 years Monday (Nov. 25). The 31-team, 6,000-meter women's race will be held on Indiana State University's LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course and is scheduled to begin at noon. Michigan earned an automatic spot in the 31-team field when the Wolverines placed second at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional last Saturday (Nov. 16).
The Field ...
Michigan will be one of six Big Ten Conference teams at the national championship meet. The Wolverines earned their spot at the championships with a second-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held last Saturday (Nov. 16) in West Lafayette, Ind. Rounding out the Big Ten participants are Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin. The rest of the 31-team field includes Arizona State, Arkansas, Ball State, Brigham Young, Colorado, Columbia, Duke, Florida State, Georgetown, Marquette, Missouri, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, Providence, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington, William & Mary.
Michigan in the NCAAs ...
This marks the 11th time in head coach Mike McGuire's tenure that the Wolverines will be represented at the NCAA Championships. Under McGuire the Wolverines have qualified to run at the championships as a team 10 times, only missing the meet in 1996 and 2000. Though the Maize and Blue did not run in the meet as a team in 1996, Marcy Akard (1996-99) qualified individually and finished 51st. As a team the Wolverines have finished in the nation's top 10 five times, including a runner-up finish in 1994. U-M has finished in the nation's top 10 four other times placing eighth in 1992, sixth in '93 and seventh in both '95 and '97. The Maize and Blue was 11th in 1998.
Last Time on the Path: NCAA Great Lakes Regional ...
The Wolverines earned their 10th trip to the NCAA Championships under head coach Mike McGuire with a runner-up performance at the Great Lakes Regional meet held Nov. 16, in West Lafayette, Ind. Michigan placed second with 107 points, 44 points behind champion Notre Dame, which totaled 63 points on Purdue's 6,000-meter Varsity Cross Country Course. For the second straight week, freshman Rebecca Walter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Groves HS) led the Maize and Blue harriers across the line, finishing 11th (21:44.9), while senior Jane Martineau (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant HS) and junior Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS) followed closely behind in 14th (21:46.1) and 18th (21:54.5), respectively. Michigan's four other finishers were junior Andrea Parker (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS), who placed 30th (22:10.7), senior captain Jeanne Spink (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS) in 36th (22:17.3), sophomore Chelsea Loomis (Traverse City, Mich./West HS), who crossed the line 46th (22:27.6), and sophomore Sarah Pizzo (Golden, Colo./Mullen HS), who finished 65th (22:57.3).
Championship Experience ...
Michigan has three harriers who have experience in the NCAA meet as seniors Jeanne Spink and Jane Martineau as well as junior Lindsey Gallo have competed for the Wolverines in the national championship race. Spink competed on the 1999 Michigan squad and finished 228th (19:09.40) in the 5,000-meter race to help U-M finish 15th in the nation. Martineau and Gallo each ran for the Maize and Blue at the 2000 meet with Martineau crossing the line 83rd (21:51.5) and Gallo 225th (23:28.7) on the 6,000-meter course.
Back Home in Indiana ...
Michigan will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the third time this season following competition in the Indiana State Invitational (Oct. 5) and the NCAA Pre-Nationals (Oct. 19), both 6,000-meter races. The Wolverines placed second of 20 teams in the ISU Invitational with Lindsey Gallo finishing eighth at 21:42.1 to lead the way. At the NCAA Pre-Nationals, Rebecca Walter led the Wolverines with a 35th-place showing in a season-best 21:21.9 to help Michigan to finish 10th of 38 teams.
Fresh Legs Lead the Way ...
Rebecca Walter, the 2002 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, led the Wolverines across the finish line for the second consecutive race and third time this season. The freshman clocked in with a time of 21:44.9 in the 6,000-meter Great Lakes Regional for an 11th-place showing. Three weeks ago, Walters helped the Wolverines to their fourth Big Ten Conference championship, placing fifth at 17:47.8.
Last Dance With Jeanne and Jane ...
Seniors Jeanne Spink and Jane Martineau will don the cross country Maize and Blue for the final time when they take to the path in Terre Haute, Ind., next Monday (Nov. 25) for the NCAA Championships. Spink, the team's captain, was a second-team All-Big Ten performer last season and set a career best for a 5,000-meter course with a time of 17:47 at the Sundodger Invitational (Sept. 21). Martineau placed 20th (18:12.1) at the Big Ten Championships (Nov. 3) and helped the Wolverines to second place at the Great Lakes Regional (Nov. 16) with a 14th-place run in a 6,000-meter personal-best time of 21:46.1.
A Look Michigan's Top Seven
Junior Lindsey Gallo ... Gallo led the Wolverines in three of the six races she ran this season and posted a season-best finish of second place at the Mel Brodt Invitational (Sept. 14) in Bowling Green, Ohio. Gallo earned All-Big Ten first team honors at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago (Nov. 3) when she finished the 5,000-meter course in seventh place at 17:49.4. Gallo in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Mel Brodt Invitational 5,000m 2nd 18:29 Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 6th 17:20 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 8th 21:42.1 NCAA Pre-Nationals 6,000m 52nd 21:38.1 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 7th 17:49.4 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 18th 21:54.5
Sophomore Chelsea Loomis ... Loomis played a major role to help the team win its fourth Big Ten championship under head coach Mike McGuire, as she placed 23rd (18:19.3), helping displace Michigan State's final two runners. Loomis in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Detroit Mercy Invitational 5,000m 7th 18:40 Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 41st 18:09 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 30th 22:17.9 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 23rd 18:17.6 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 46th 22:47.6
Senior Jane Martineau ... Martineau has been a major contributor to the Wolverines' success in the last two races this season as she placed 14th (21:46.1) at the Great Lakes Regional last Saturday (Nov. 16) and 20th (18:12.1) at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago (Nov. 3). Martineau in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 11th 17:38 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 11th 21:46.9 NCAA Pre-Nationals 6,000m 72nd 21:50.8 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 20th 18:12.1 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 14th 21:46.1
Junior Andrea Parker ... Parker began the season with a third-place finish in a personal-best time of 18:17 at the Detroit Mercy Invitational (Sept. 7). Two weeks later she crushed that mark with an eighth-place showing at the Sundodger Invitational (Sept. 21) when she clocked in at 17:25. Parker in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Detroit Mercy Invitational 5,000m 3rd 18:17 Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 8th 17:25 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 19th 21:59.8 NCAA Pre-Nationals 6,000m 90th 21:58.4 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 17th 18:09.1 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 30th 22:10.7
Sophomore Sarah Pizzo ... Pizzo, like Loomis, was a key factor in the Wolverines winning the Big Ten championship as she placed 26th (18:19.3), helping displace Michigan State's final two harriers and allow Michigan to earn a three-point edge over the Spartans (70-73). Pizzo in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Detroit Mercy Invitational 5,000m 12th 18:59 Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 23rd 17:50 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 29th 22:17.8 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 23rd 18:19.3 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 66th 22:57.3
Senior Captain Jeanne Spink ... Captain Spink set a personal-best mark for 5,000 meters when she crossed the finish line at 17:47 for 11th place at the Sundodger Invitational (Sept. 21). Spink's best 6,000-meter race of the year came in Terre Haute, Ind., when she finished 28th at 22:16.0 at the Indiana State Invitational (Oct. 5). Spink in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Detroit Mercy Invitational 5,000m 11th 18:58 Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 21st 17:47 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 28th 21:16.0 NCAA Pre-Nationals 6,000m 97th 22:06.0 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 21st 18:15.7 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 36th 22:17.3
Freshman Rebecca Walter ... The 2002 Big Ten Freshman of Year had a pair of top-10 finishes this year, including a fifth-place showing at the Big Ten Championships (Nov. 3) in West Lafayette, Ind., to help the Wolverines win the conference crown. Walter was the first freshman as well as the first Wolverine to cross the line and earned All-Big Ten first-team honors. Walter also was the Wolverines' leading harrier at the Great Lakes Regional as she finished 11th at 21:44.9. Walter in 2002:
Race Distance Place Time Detroit Mercy Invitational 5,000m 5th 18:31 Sundodger Invitational 5,000m 13th 17:40 Indiana State Invitational 6,000m 12th 21:47.3 NCAA Pre-Nationals 6,000m 35th 21:21.9 Big Ten Championships 5,000m 5th 17:47.8 Great Lakes Regional 6,000m 11th 21:44.9
In the Polls ...
Following a second-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional the Wolverines fell three spots to 15th in the FinishLynx Women's Cross Country Poll released Monday (Nov. 18). The Wolverines earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships with the runner-up finish in the regional meet.
No. Team Region Pts. Prev. 1. Brigham Young (12) MT 389 1 2. Stanford (1) W 378 2 3. Colorado MT 360 3 4. Wake Forest SE 347 4 5. Notre Dame GL 334 5 6. North Carolina State SE 324 6 7. Georgetown MA 320 7 8. Arkansas SC 285 10 9. Columbia NE 277 8 10. Northern Arizona MT 266 9 11. Virginia SE 241 11 12. Providence NE 230 15 13. Villanova MA 224 16 14. Duke SE 214 14 15. MICHIGAN GL 209 12 16. Missouri MW 204 13 17. Arizona State W 202 17 18. North Carolina SE 165 18 19. Michigan State GL 162 19 20. Indiana GL 131 20 21. UCLA W 120 23 22. Penn State MA 75 24 23. William & Mary SE 70 -- 24. Washington W 69 21 25. Ball State GL 66 -- 26. Boston College NE 63 25 27. Texas SC 62 29 28. Colorado State MT 52 28 29. Wisconsin GL 47 30 30. Northwestern MW 36 --Also Receiving Votes: Marquette, Toledo, James Madison, Tennessee and Florida State
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.
Contact: Gene Skidmore, 734-647-4237
Players Mentioned
