Tulane Qualifies Two for NCAA Cross Country Championships

NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane cross country team continued its run of strong performances by qualifying two women to the 1999 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Hanne Lyngstad, a junior from Elverum, Norway, placed second at Saturday's NCAA South Central District Championships in Denton, Texas, to automatically qualify for the Championships. Her 5,000-meter time of 17:01 earned her one of four individual berths. Lyngstad finished eight seconds behind Arkansas' Lilli Kleinmann, who won the race with a time of 16:53. Lyngstad's time was the third fastest in Tulane history.

Theresa Maru, a sophomore from Kipkarren River, Kenya, earned the berth with a ninth-place finish. Her time of 17:33 was the sixth-fastest time in Tulane history and earned the final individual qualifying spot in the Championships. Maru earned the berth in this her first semester of competition at Tulane.

It will be Lyngstad's second consecutive trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and Maru's first. Both runners earned all-NCAA South Central District honors for their efforts on Saturday. Tulane's two qualifiers this year is the most in school history.

The 1999 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held Monday, Nov. 22, in Bloomington, Ind. The event will be hosted by Indiana University.

For more information contact: Richard Paige, (504) 865-5506 or, rpaige@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu