THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2006
CROSS COUNTRY
3B
Jayhawks place third
Junior cross country runner Colby Wissel leads the pack at the Big 12 Country Championships Friday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Wissel won the 8k race with a time of 24:34.40.
Colby Wissel wins individual conference title
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
As junior Colby Wissel came down the Jim Ryun Skyline at Rim Rock Farm, he said to himself, "Here I am, I've got to go for it."
Wissel was a few steps behind Texas All-American senior Joe Thorne when he changed gears and blew by Thorne in the final 200 meters to become the Big 12 Champion.
Wissel finished the 8k race in 24:34.40.
"I wasn't sure I was going to win it until I crossed the line," Wissel said. "I had to go for it, and it just played into my hands today."
Wissel ran with the lead pack through the entire race and stayed patient to the end, a lesson he learned after the NCAA Pre-Nationals when he got out too fast and did not finish as well as he would have liked.
Junior Paul Hefferson placed forth with a time of 24:41.10.
Defending back-to-back champion Benson Chesang placed 12th, good for third on the team with a time of 24:57.10.
Chesang didn't have much to say after the race — he left to go to class, coach Stanley Redwine said.
He was absent as his name was called during the medals ceremony.
Seniors Matt French and Tyler
Kelly found out the top five runners for the lavwhaws.
French placed 33rd with a time of 25:40.70, and Kelly placed 34th with 25:42.60.
Redwine said he was pleased with his team.
"Especially
wanted them to fight all the way through the finish and every one of them had a great race at the end."
Some runners took the fighting a little too seriously.
During the race an Oklahoma State runner hit a Colorado runner in the face and broke his nose.
"I had to go for it, and it just played into my hands today."
competing at home, we are excited about the performance by Colby and the rest of the team today," Redwine said.
COLBY WISSEL Big 12 cross country champion
"One thing that (assistant) coach Clark and I stressed that was that
R ace officials discussed the incident for a lengthy amount of time before concluding that the Oklahoma State runner would be
disqualified.
Kansas was tied for second with Texas, but because Texas had four more runners finish after the disqualified runner, and Kansas only had two, Texas was given the
advantage.
Hefferon stated after the race that he felt this was one of the more physical races he'd ever been a part of.
"The entire race people were jostling for position," he said. "That's all a part of the race. It's about having a competitive attitude and if you don't have that, you are not going to do well."
Colorado won the event for the 11th straight year. Texas came in second and Kansas placed third.
The Midwest Regional Championships will be next for the men in Minneapolis on Nov. 11th.
Kanss sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kanss.com.
Edited by Catherine Odson
Women fail to improve Eleventh place finish down three spots from last year
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
The women's cross country team was never able to warm up on a cold day at Rim Rock Farm.
finish in the Big 12 Championships, but instead it finished 11th as a team.
The team was expected to improve from last year's eighth place
"The goal was for them to place higher in the meet," coach Stanley Redwine said. "But they are a young team, and there is a lot of work we have to do in order to be where I
want them to get."
Junior Lisa Morrisse led the team in the 6k event with a 45th place finish in a time of 22.48.89.
Vanessa Pearson/KANSAN
Lisa Morrisey, Ottawa junior, runs Friday during the Big 12 Cross Country Championships at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Morrisey finished 45th and the women's team finished 11th overall. Colorado won its 10th title in the past 11 years.
Junior Alicia McGregor placed 57th with a time of 23:13.80, and freshman Lauren Bonds finished in 23:17.62 for 58th place.
Junior Melissa O'Rourke placed 68th with a time of 23:33.58, and junior Melissa Moody placed 71st at 23:40.28, rounded out the Jayhawks' top five runners.
"Individually, I thought we ran well, but as a team we were disappointed with where we finished," O'Rourke said. "That will serve as motivation for Midwest Regionals, where we know we'll need to pack up more at the front."
Texas Tech sophomore Sally Kipyego won the event with a time
"Individually, I thought we ran well, but as a team we were disappointed with where we finished."
MELISSA O'ROURKE Cross country runner
of 20.00.82. She beat the second place runner by 45 seconds.
Colorado won the meet for the 10th time in 11 years with a total of 45 team points. Texas Tech took second and Nebraska placed third.
The women will turn their focus to the Midwest Regional Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., on Nov. 11 with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 20 in Terre Haute, Ind.
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
Edited by Catherine Odson
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