Weekly Release #4
10/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 13 -- at NCAA Pre-Nationals (Terre Haute, Ind.), 12:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 19 -- at EMU Classic (Dexter, Mich.), 4 p.m.
This Week: The NCAA Pre-Nationals ...
The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Pre-Nationals, which features a field of the top programs in the country. Hosted by Indiana State at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center, the 6,000-meter race will use the same route as the NCAA Championships in late November.
This meet is Michigan's third of four meets in the state of Indiana this season. The team will travel to Bloomington, Ind., for the NCAA Regionals on Saturday, Nov. 10. Michigan will try to get back to Indiana for a fifth time this season to compete in the NCAA Championships, held in Terre Haute on Monday, Nov. 19.
The Wolverines that will be running at the NCAA Pre-Nationals are: freshman Danielle Tauro(Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional), sophomore Kelly Sampson(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance), sophomore/freshman Jennie Biewald(Ottawa, Ontario/Hillcrest), junior/sophomore Geena Gall(Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), senior/junior Natasha Luppov(Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron), sophomore/freshman Rachel Severin(Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea), sophomore/freshman Alysha Valencia(Lawrence, Kan./Free State), senior/junior Nicole Edwards(Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey), sophomore Jenny Morgan(Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston), senior Lisa Uible(Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill), fifth-year senior Erin Webster(Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) and junior/sophomore Katie Williams(Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington).
Pre-Nationals Breakdown ...The NCAA Pre-Nationals are broken down into two sections -- the blue race and the white race. Last year, Michigan was the highest seeded squad in the white race, while No. 1 Stanford headlined the blue race.
Edwards, Gall, Morgan, Sampson, Tauro, Uible and Webster will headline Michigan in the 6,000-meter white race on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 12:55 p.m.
Last Year at the NCAA Pre-Nationals ...
The third-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team earned a tie for second place in the 37-team White division at the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Saturday (Oct. 14). All seven Michigan runners finished in the top 67 spots in the 253-person field. Erin Webster was the first Wolverine to cross the finish line in the 6,000-meter race, taking fourth place with a time of 20:10.2. The time established a new 6,000-meter personal best for Webster, and it marked the fourth time in as many races that Webster led Michigan to the finish.
Last Meet: The Michigan Intercollegiate ...
Jennie Biewald and Rachel Severin led the No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's cross country team to a first-place division I finish and second-place overall finish (11 points) Friday (Oct. 5) at the Michigan Intercollegiate on the Katke-Cousins Golf Course.
The Leaders and Best ...
Women's cross country has won the Big Ten championship and received the Leaders and Best award for five consecutive years. The Leaders and Best award honors the University of Michigan varsity team that earns the highest grade-point average.
Big Ten Runner of the Week ...
Jennie Biewald of the University of Michigan women's cross country team was named Big Ten Conference Runner of the Week Tuesday (Oct. 9) for her winning performance at the Michigan Intercollegiate Friday (Oct. 5) in Rochester, Mich. Biewald recorded a time of 14:40 on the 4,000-meter course, finishing five seconds ahead of the next fastest runner, Rachel Severin, to record Biewald's first collegiate victory. This is Biewald's first careeer conference award.
The Mike McGuire File ...
Mike McGuire is in his 16th season as a head coach for the Michigan women's cross country team. In 2006, Michigan won the Big Ten championship under McGuire, as well as placing third in the 2006 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships. For his accomplishments, he received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the eighth time, with five straight (2002-06) 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 Michigan 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 eight times at the NCAA Championships. McGuire has helped 86 cross country and track athletes earn All-America honors and has coached six Big Ten individual champions and five Big Ten freshmen of the year.
USTFCCCA Division I Womens Cross Country rankings (10/9/07)
Rank, Team (first-place votes) Points 1. Stanford (10) 387 2. Colorado (3) 373 3. Oregon 361 4. Minnesota 349 5. Arkansas 330 6. Arizona State 328 7. Rice 302 8. Princeton 296 9. Michigan State 289 10. Illinois 272 11. Florida State 256 12. Washington 250 13. MICHIGAN 228 14. Colorado State 225 15. BYU 185 16. Boston College 177 17. Duke 162 18. Providence 145 19. Virginia Tech 141 20. Florida 132 21. West Virginia 130 22. Georgetown 111 23. Iowa 109 24. Texas Tech 90 25. North Carolina State 78 26. Wisconsin 72 27. UC Santa Barbara 66 28. Georgia 64 29. Nebraska 41 30. Penn State 36
What's Next ...
The Wolverines will travel to Dexter, Mich., to participate in the non-scoring 5,000-meter EMU Classic on Friday (Oct. 19) at 4 p.m.
Contact: Jeremiah W. Hergott (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
