Lyngstad Qualifies for NCAA Cross Country Championships

DENTON, Texas -- Tulane cross country runner Hanne Lyngstad earned her second consecutive berth in the NCAA Cross Country Championships with her second-place finish Saturday at the 1999 NCAA South Central District Championships.

Lyngstad, a junior from Elverum, Norway, placed second in the women's 5,000-meter race with a time of 17:01 to earn the championship berth. 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.

It will be Lyngstad's second consecutive trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships. She is the only woman in Tulane history to qualify for the NCAA championship event. Her efforts on Saturday also garnered her all-NCAA South Central District honors.

Lyngstad's finish highlighted a strong showing for the entire Tulane cross country program. She led the women to a fifth place finish and was one of two Green Wave women to place in the top 10. The solid effort of the top two runners helped the team total 141 points. Arkansas won the team event with 30 points, while Texas finished second with 62.

Freshman Theresa Maru finished ninth in the race with a time of 17:33 to earn all-district honors as well. Four of the five Wave runners finished in the top half of the field, including Hanna Ritakallio (36th/18:40), Katrina Gemmell (45th/18:57), and Lyndie Galka (59th/19:25).

On the men's side, both Tulane competitors finished in the top 20 and earned all-district honors. Freshman Solomon Kandie finished 12th in the men's 10,000-meter race with a time of 31:39. Also finishing strongly was sophomore Peter Rotich, who finished 17th with a time of 31:59. Those finishing times were the third- and fourth-fastest 10,000-meter times 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