Colorado Preps For Big 12 Championships
BOULDER - The University of Colorado cross country teams will try to defend its Big 12 titles on Friday, Oct. 27 at the Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas. The CU men have won all 10 titles, while the women have taken nine; including the last seven.
Kansas will host the event. The women's 6k will start at 10 a.m. (CT) and the men's 8k will follow at 11.
The Buffs have won three of the four titles (two team and two individual) the last two years and all four titles five of the last seven years. Christine Bolf won the individual title last year for the women. The last male to win the individual title was Dathan Ritzenhein in 2003.
The second-ranked men return four All-Americans who have all been All-Big 12 selections over the past few years. Senior Billy Nelson will be looking to go out with his best performance. Nelson took eighth overall at pre-nationals and was the second Buff to cross the finish behind Stephen Pifer. Pifer has been CU's top finisher in both varsity meets this season. He took fourth overall at the Rocky Mountain Shootout and was seventh at pre-nationals.
Brent Vaughn (10th at pre-nationals) and James Strang (20th at pre-nationals) round out CU's returning All-Americans. Erik Heinonen (30th at pre-nationals) has stepped into the fifth position for the Buffs this season. Brad Harkrader, who returns to CU's lineup after a medical redshirt last season, was CU's no. 6 at pre-nationals (57th). Rounding out Colorado's squad will be Pete Janson (fourth in the open race at pre-nationals), Kenyon Neuman (191st in the open race at pre-nationals) and Chris Pannone (22nd in the open race at pre-nationals).
The 10th-ranked women return just two scorers from last season in junior All-American Liza Pasciuto and sophomore Jenny Barringer. Barringer took second overall at last year's Big 12 Championship and was named the Newcomer of the Year. She has been CU's no.1 this season, winning the Rocky Mountain Shootout and taking third overall at pre-nationals. Pasciuto took second at the shootout and was 15th overall at pre-nationals.
The women have several new faces on the squad that have already made big impacts. Aislinn Ryan and Claire Maduza have been CU's third and fourth harriers this season. Ryan took third for CU at pre-nationals (46th) and Maduza finished 51st. Erin Marston, in her first year on the varsity team, has finished fifth for Colorado in both races (115th at pre-nationals). Rounding out CU's Big 12 team is Hilary McClendon (129th at pre-nationals), Rachel Gioscia (164th at pre-nationals), Emily Hanenburg (71st in the open race at pre-nationals) and Anna Chase (82nd in the open race at pre-nationals).
The Buffs will face some stiff competition at Big 12's. On the men's side, Kansas, the host school, is ranked 19th. Oklahoma State is 22nd and Texas is 27th. On the women's side, Texas Tech is 21st and Baylor is ranked 30th.
Following the conference championships, both rosters will be cut to seven over the next couple of weeks before the NCAA Mountain Region Championships, Saturday, Nov. 11, at Albuquerque, N.M. and the NCAA Championships, Nov. 20, in Terre Haute, Ind.
2006 BIG 12 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, Oct. 27
Rock Rim Farm, Lawrence, Texas
10 a.m. (CT) Women's 6k
11 a.m. (CT) Men's 8k