Cross Country Weekly Release
10/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
UB Men Score Best Ever MAC Finish; Women Place 10th
The University at Buffalo men's cross country team turned in its highest finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships as the Bulls placed third among nine squads at the 2011 league championships at Pine View Golf Club in Muncie, IN. The UB women placed 10th in the 12-team women's championship. The UB men tallied 91 points and the third-place finish was their highest since a fifth-place showing in 2001. The UB women scored 262 points to move up one place from last season's 11th-place finish and were five points behind Kent State's ninth-place total of 257 points.
Inzina, Pressler Earn All-MAC Honors
UB placed two runners on the men's all-conference team as John Inzina and Mike Pressler earned All-MAC Second Team honors. Inzina finished eighth in 24:47.0 for the 8K race. The senior from Clarence, NY shaved more than a minute off his top 8K mark of the season. Pressler, a sophomore, finished 12th in 24:51.7 as he took more than 30 seconds off his top time from 2011. Senior Dylan Conway just missed making the all-conference team as he finished 15th in 24:56.9, taking 20 seconds off his season-best mark. The top 14 runners earn All-MAC honors with the top seven finishers named to the first-team and finishers 8-14 receive second-team honors.
Sanders Paces Women's Team
In the women's meet, sophomore Katie Sanders was the top UB finisher. Sanders completed the 6K course in 22:46.1 to place 48th overall among the 95 racers. Sanders took 25 seconds off her previous 6K top time this season which she set at Lehigh's Paul Short Invitational on September 30.
A Return to Action
Two UB racers made their first appearances in quite some time at Saturday's MAC Championships. In the men's race, redshirt freshman Steve Houghmaster, who hadn't raced since the season-opening Tommy Evans Invite on September 8, finished 34th in 25:06.8. Women's junior Emma Denton, who hadn't raced since the UB Stampede on September 17, finished 64th in 23:22.3.
Mitchell's Musings
Following the meet head coach Vicki Mitchell commented on her teams. "The men ran a very strong race," said head coach Vicki Mitchell. "John Inzina has proven he is a MAC competitor. He rises above at every MAC Championship, whether it be cross country or track. Mike Pressler had his breakthrough MAC meet and Dylan Conway showed his leadership that has brought the team along this season with his highest place ever at the MAC Championships. We are extremely proud of the men's performance. It was a true team effort." On her women's team, Mitchell said, "The women moved up one place from last year to 10th place," stated Mitchell. "We unfortunately lost two of our top five (Gabby Leo and Lesley Bowers) which was a big setback and definitely changed the depth of our team. We are looking for improvements in two weeks, and hope to step back up to a higher level."
Bulls Host Regional Championships
The Bulls host the 2011 NCAA Northeast Regional Championships on November 12 at the Audubon Golf Course in Amherst. "Both teams are excited to run at home for the Northeast Championships. This is going to be an incredible opportunity for our team, our university, and our community," said Mitchell. "Our focus from day one has been the NCAA Northeast Championships. All is going well as we prepare for the biggest meet of the season."
