Cross Country Teams Visits Oklahoma
October 2, 1998
The Schedule: Saturday, Oct. 3, Cowboy Jamboree; Stillwater, Okla.
7:10 a.m. PST - Women's 5,000-meter race (9:10 a.m. Central Time)
7:40 a.m. PST - Men's 8,000-meter race (9:40 a.m. Central Time)
This Week: A large field of top flight NCAA competitors toes the line, Saturday, Oct. 3 in Stillwater, Okla. for the 61st annual Cowboy Jamboree cross country race. The Oklahoma State cross country course hosts this event which is the oldest consecutive cross country race in the United States. The women's 5,000-meter race beginss at 7:10 a.m. Pacific Time (9:10 a.m. Central Time) followed by the men's 8,000-meter competition at 7:40 a.m. PST (9:40 a.m. CST).
The Field: Both of Washington's team entries wil be challenged by higher ranked opponents. The 14th-ranked Washington women meet perennial national championship contender Arkansas which is currently ranked 12th in the coaches poll. The 23rd-ranked Husky men battle second-ranked Arkansas and host Oklahoma State which boasts a No. 8 national ranking. Among the other NCAA Division I schools scheduled to compete are New Mexico, Oral Roberts, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Tentative Washington Lineups for Cowboy Jamboree:Women (5,000 meters) Name Yr. Hometown (Previous School) Anna Aoki Jr. Vancouver, Wash. (Fort Vancouver) Ashley Foianini Jr. Ephrata, Wash. (Ephrata) Amy King So. Mill Creek, Wash. (King's) Cami Matson Jr. Kent, Wash. (Tahoma) Amy Rose Jr. Norco, Calif. (Norco) Jennifer Smith So. Spokane, Wash. (Ferris/Colorado) Kara Syrdal So. Shoreline, Wash. (Shorecrest) Aleah Thome Jr. Yakima, Wash. (Eisenhower) Susan Werner Fr. Boise, Idaho (Boise) Deeja Youngquist Sr. Enumclaw, Wash. (Enumclaw)
Men (8,000 meters) Name Yr. Hometown (Previous School) Dave Bazzi Jr. Seattle, Wash. (O'Dea) James Day Sr. Renton, Wash. (Hazen/Cent. Wash.) Jason Fayant So. Spokane, Wash. (Mead/Lane CC) Paul Harkins Jr. Spokane, Wash. (Ferris) Tom Hildrum Jr. Renton, Wash. (Hazen) Geoff Perry So. Gig Harbor, Wash. (Gig Harbor) Jim Rucker Fr. Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep) Dan Schruth Fr. Spokane, Wash. (Ferris) Dave Schruth So. Spokane, Wash. (Ferris) Morgan Thompson So. Spokane, Wash. (Mead/Boise State)
Coach Metcalf: Former Washington All-American Greg Metcalf returned last season to his alma mater to coach the men's and women's cross country teams and assist with the track & field distance runners. He helped the UW women to a 14th-place team finish at the 1997 NCAA cross country meet. On the track, Anna Aoki won the Pac-10 title in the 10,000 meters. She joined three other Husky distance runners at the NCAA track championships; Deeja Youngquist, Danelle Kabush and Geoff Perry. Metcalf served in 1996-97 as the head cross country and assistant track coach at Auburn University. His Tiger athletes accumulated four All-America awards and seven NCAA championship berths. As a competitor at Washington, Metcalf twice earned All-America acclaim for consecutive top-10 national finishes in the steeplechase. He placed 10th at the 1992 NCAA championships and sixth in 1993. Metcalf's collegiate best mark of 8:41.17 ranks fourth among all-time Husky steeplechasers. A 1988 graduate of Ephrata (Wash.) High School, Metcalf was a standout prep runner. He won the 1987 state Class A cross country championship, helping Ephrata to the team title. During the 1988 track season, Metcalf won the state 1,600-meter title. He competed two years at Central Oregon Junior College, garnering All-America honors in both cross country and track. Metcalf received his bachelor's degree in geography from Washington in 1993 and a master's of science in exercise physiology from Auburn in 1996. An outstanding student, he was selected to the All-Pacific-10 Conference academic team on four occasions.
Last Week (Sundodger Recap): Fifth-ranked Michigan placed three runners among the top-six to edge No. 15 Washington in the women's competition and Utah claimed the men's team title Sept. 26 during the seventh-annual Sundodger Invitational cross country meet at Lincoln Park. Michigan's Katie McGregor won by 20 seconds with a winning time of 16:44. She bettered the women's 5,000-meter course record of 17:01 established by Oregon's Milena Glusac in 1993. The Wolverines, who finished seventh at last year's NCAA championships, also placed Elizabeth Kampfe third (17:18) and Michelle Slater sixth (17:24). Michigan outpointed the Huskies 31-53. Arizona State had a 115-point third-place total. Washington, a 15th-place national finisher in 1997, was paced by sophomores Kara Syrdal (17:29) and Jennifer Smith (17:31) who placed eighth and ninth, respectively. Jeff Simonich completed the men's 8,000-meter course in a winning time of 24:47 to lead team champion Utah. The Utes tallied 49 points, followed closely by runner-up Arizona State with 53 and Washington with a 60-point third-place total. The Huskies were led by the second-place finish of junior Dave Bazzi who posted a time of 25:05. Freshman Courtney Inman, competing unattached while she red-shirts at Washington, won the women's open race in 18:47. Western Washington won the women's open championship while the College of Southern Idaho topped the men's open field.
Opening Week (Big Cross Recap): Three Huskies placed among the top six runners as the 15th-ranked Washington women's cross country team upset No. 7 Oregon to win the Big Cross meet while the UW men finished third on Sept. 19 in the season opener at the Tri-Cities Cross Country Course. Washington totaled 34 points, paced by the third-place finish of sophomore Kara Syrdal. The Shorecrest High School graduate completed the 5,000-meter course in 18-minutes, 4-seconds. Husky senior Deeja Youngquist placed fifth (18:10) and newcomer Jennifer Smith, a sophomore transfer from Colorado, was sixth (18:13). Marie Davis clocked a winning time of 17:55, helping No. 7 Oregon post a second-place scored of 51 points. Washington State was third with 66 points, led by individual runner-up Megan Maynard (18:00). Oregon tallied 32 points to better Oklahoma State's 35-point and win the men's championship. Matt Davis won the men's 8,000-meter race in 24:32 followed by Oregon teammate Rob Aubrey in 24:36. Washington junior Dave Bazzi, a product of Seattle's O'Dea High School, registered a third-place time of 24:39.
Next Meet: Sunday, Oct. 18 - Washington at Wolverine Interregional; Ann Arbor, Mich.
1998 Washington Cross Country Schedule Day Date Event Location Time Sat. Sept. 20 at Big Cross Invitational Pasco, Wash. 10:00 a.m. Sat. Sept. 26 Sundodger Invitational Seattle, Wash. 9:30 a.m. Sat. Oct. 3 at Cowboy Jamboree Stillwater, Okla. 8:00 a.m. Sun. Oct. 18 at Wolverine Interregional Ann Arbor, Mich. 10:00 a.m. Sat. Oct. 31 at Pacific-10 Championships Eugene, Ore. 11:00 a.m. Sat. Nov. 14 at NCAA West Regionals Fresno, Calif. 10:00 a.m. Mon. Nov. 23 at NCAA Championships Lawrence, Kansas 8:00 a.m.Times listed are for Pacific Time Zone
