UB cross country weekly release
10/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Bulls Conclude Regular Season at Reif Invite
The University at Buffalo men's and women's cross country teams sent six racers to Friday's Cornell University Reif Invitational coming up with several strong finishes. There was no team scoring at the meet.
Men Race in 5K and 5 Mile Events
With just two men's runners, UB entered one runner in the 5K race and another in the five-mile event. In the men's 5K race, UB freshman Cord Sgaglio placed fifth behind three unattached runners and a Cortland athlete in the 43-man race. Sgaglio completed the course in 17:25.1. Freshman Aaron Walker competed in the men's five-mile race, placing 22nd of 30 in 28:04.5.
Swartwood Leads Women's Racers
UB had four women's entrants in the 5K race. Freshman Hilary Swartwood was the top finisher with a 20:41.8 clocking for 26th place among 42 entrants. Katie Sheehan finished 30th in 21:18.2. Kristen Swanson was 33rd in 21:23.6 and Caitlin Curry was 34th in 21:51.9.
MAC Championships On Tap
The Bulls travel to Kalamazoo, MI for the Mid-American Conference Championships on Saturday, October 30. At last season's meet in Athens, OH, the UB men placed fifth among nine schools, their highest finish since 2001 as Dennis Pollow earned All-MAC Second Team honors. The UB women placed 12th among the league schools.
Mitchell Previews League Meet
Head coach Vicki Mitchell commented on her team's prospects for the upcoming MAC Championships.
"The women have shown consistent improvements all season, and we are looking forward to continuing that trend and also better our performance from the 2009 meet," said Mitchell. "While a couple of key women have been out for the season with injuries [most notably Ellen Muster], the rest of the women have really stepped up their performance and worked hard be at their best. Their perseverance through several setbacks this season shows their focus and determination to make our program continue to rise. We know the competition of the MAC women's teams is extremely high. We are ready to face some of the top teams in the country.
"The men are in position to race. The goal all season has been to progress their training and racing towards the MAC and NCAA Regional Championships," stated Mitchell. "We know the competition, and we know our strengths in racing. Despite the key loss of Mike Gillis due to an injury sustained during the PSU National Meet, the men are ready. We expect excellence on race day, and the men are ready to deliver.
"To this point, both the men's and women's teams have sustained focus and perseverance through injuries. I am already very proud of the results they have achieved this season, and know that the MAC Championships will be a great opportunity to achieve more success." concluded Mitchell.
