Weekly Release #5
10/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 14 -- at NCAA Pre-Nationals (Terre Haute, Ind.), 11 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 20 -- at EMU Classic (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 3 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29 -- Big Ten Championships (Bloomington, Ind.), 10:45 a.m.
This Week: NCAA Pre-Nationals
The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to participate in the NCAA Pre-Nationals Saturday (Oct. 14). Blue and White divisions will run the 6,000-meter scored meet at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. The Blue race begins at 11 a.m. and the White race starts at 11:35 a.m. The Wolverines won't know which race they will run in until Wednesday afternoon. To see the postings after Wednesday, please visit Indiana State's site.
The seven Wolverines running in the scored race at the NCAA Pre-Nationals are: Junior/sophomore Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey), fifth-year senior Arianne Field (Kalamazoo, Mich./Hackett), grad/senior Katie Gwyther (Madison, N.H./Kennett), junior Alyson Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick's), junior/sophomore Claire Otwell (Traverse City, Mich./Central), junior Elisabeth Uible (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill), and senior/junior Erin Webster (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child).
Michigan will also feature five runners in the 6,000-meter open race, which begins at 1:30 p.m.: Junior/sophomore Lisa Canty (Highland, Mich./Milford), freshman Eileen Creutz (Saline, Mich./Saline), senior/junior Laura Glynn (Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison), freshman Jenny Morgan (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston), and sophomore/freshman Katie Williams (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington).
Last Meet: The Notre Dame Invitational
Two weeks ago (Friday Sept. 29), Michigan ran at the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind. Leading the Wolverines in the scored event was Erin Webster, who took first place overall with a 5,000-meter personal record of 16:36. Webster's victory marked the third straight event in which she finished in first place. Michigan had three runners finish in the top 10 places in a dominating performance. Out of the 157 runner field, six Wolverines finished in the top 36.
Big Ten Runner Of The Week
Senior/junior Erin Webster was named Big Ten Conference Runner of the Week for her winning performance at the Indiana Open on Sept. 9. In her first collegiate victory, Webster completed the 5,000-meter course in 17:14.
Returning Champions
The Wolverines return 12 letterwinners from last year's roster, including first team All-Big Ten runners Alyson Kohlmeier and Erin Webster, in addition to second team All-Big Ten runners Nicole Edwards and Arianne Field.
Still Going Strong
Alyson Kohlmeier led the Maize and Blue to the finish line in six meets last season, including the Big Ten Championships and the Great Lakes Regional Championships. Kohlmeier placed second at the conference championship, which earned her first team All-Big Ten, and fourth at the regional championship. She has run in two races this year, finishing fifth at the Sundodger Invitational (20:58) and third at the Notre Dame Invitational (16:54).
USTFCCCA Division I Women's Poll (10/9/06)
Rank, School Points 1. Stanford 390 2. Colorado 373 3. MICHIGAN 368 4. Arkansas 344 5. North Carolina State 333 6. BYU 328 7. Princeton 307 8. UC Santa Barbara 296 9. Wisconsin 282 10. Providence 272 11. Iowa 260 12. Florida State 239 13. Wake Forest 226 14. Washington 222 15. Oklahoma State 217 16. Arizona State 197 17. Illinois 173 Minnesota 173 19. Baylor 150 20. Duke 145 21. Michigan State 122 22. Colorado State 112 23. Georgetown 98 24. Tennessee 88 25. Boston University 80 26. Virginia 72 27. Villanova 48 28. Texas Tech 32 29. Butler 23 30. Virginia Tech 16
Leaders and Best in Academics
The 2005 Michigan women's cross country team earned the 2005-06 Leaders and Best Award, given to the U-M varsity team with the highest grade point average. It's the fourth year in a row that coach Mike McGuire's squad has received the honor.
The Mike McGuire File
Mike McGuire is in his 15th season as a head coach for the Michigan women's cross country team. In 2005, Michigan won the Big Ten championship under McGuire, as well as the 2005 NCAA Great Lakes Regional championship. For his accomplishments, he received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the seventh time, with four straight (2002-05) following a three-peat from 1992-94. In his first four seasons, McGuire won three consecutive Big Ten and NCAA District IV team championships, and the Wolverines finished as high as second (1994) at the NCAA Championships. McGuire's teams have 13 top-two finishes in 14 seasons at the Big Ten Championships and 10 top-two finishes at the regional championships, winning the regional meet in 1993, '94, '95, 2004, and '05. His teams have finished among the nation's top 10 seven times at the NCAA Championships. McGuire has helped 49 cross country and track athletes earn All-America honors, and has coached five Big Ten individual champions and five Big Ten freshmen of the year.
What's Next
Next week, the Wolverines will travel East to Ypsilanti, Mich., for the EMU Classic on Friday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m.
Contact: Tim Trunzo (734) 763-4423
