Weekly Release #3
9/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Saturday, Sept. 21 -- at Sundodger Invitational (Seattle, Wash.), 10:15 a.m. PDT
Saturday, Oct. 5 -- at Indiana State Invitational (Terre Haute, Ind.), 10:30 a.m. EST/CDT
This Week: Sundodger Invitational ...
The University of Michigan women's cross country team looks to remain undefeated in 2002 as it sends 12 runners to Seattle, Wash., for the Sundodger Invitational hosted by the University of Washington on Saturday (Sept. 21). The 5,000-meter race at Lincoln Park is scheduled for a 10:15 a.m. PDT start time.
Last Week: Mel Brodt Invitational ...
The Wolverines picked up their second consecutive win to open the season with a first-place finish last Saturday (Sept. 14) at the Mel Brodt Invitational in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Maize and Blue had three runners finish in the top 11 as Lindsey Gallo (Freehold, N.J./Howell HS) led the pack, finishing second overall and first among collegiate runners in 18:29. Also placing in the top 11 were redshirt freshman Stephanie Hirtle (Salmon Arm, B.C./Salmon Arm Senior HS) and senior/junior Rachel Sturtz (Traverse City, Mich./Central HS). The two were separated by one click of the clock as Hirtle finished at 19:01 and Sturtz came in at 19:02.
Michigan at the Sundodger Invite ...
The Wolverines have some history at the Sundodger Invitational, as this is the first time the Maize and Blue will return to Seattle, Wash., since U-M standout Katie McGregor set the meet record in 1998. McGregor went on to win the NCAA Championship meet and claim the program's lone individual championship, helping the Wolverines to an 11th-place team finish. McGregor's time of 16:44 at the Sundodger Invite remained the time to beat for three years but was bettered last year by Washington's Sabrina Monro, who completed the 5,000-meter course in 16:06.
Gallo Back on Top ...
Last season, Lindsey Gallo paced the Wolverines in each of the team's six races. After not running in the season opener in Northville, Mich., Gallo returned to form last weekend when she led the Maize and Blue at the Mel Brodt Invitational, finishing second overall, first among collegiate competitors. The overall placing was Gallo's career-best finish, surpassing her seventh-place finish at the 2001 Big Ten Championships (Oct. 28).
The Mike McGuire File ...
Mike McGuire is in his 11th season as a head coach for the Michigan women's cross country team. McGuire coached the Wolverines to victory last Saturday (Sept. 14) at Mel Brodt Invitational with a low score of 55 points. 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 nine 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 ...
The Wolverines take a week off from competition before they head to the campus of Indiana State University for the Indiana State Invitational on Saturday (Oct. 5) in Terre Haute, Ind. Start time is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EST/CDT.
Contact: Gene Skidmore, 734-647-4237
Players Mentioned
