C-USA Cross Country Notebook

Ruth Limo

UAB sophomore Elizabeth Ambrus earned C-USA Female Athlete of the Week honors for the second-consecutive time as she led the Blazers to the team title at the Old Timers Classic in Bowling Green, Ky. Ambrus clocked a 17:11.19 to finish as the top collegian and capture her second invidual title of the season. On the men's side, Kevin Schwarz led a pack of eight Bearcats to the finish line as Cincinnati dominated the Queen City Invitational. Schwarz won the race earning C-USA Male Athlete of the Week honors.

Female Athlete of the Week
Elizabeth Ambrus - UAB (So., Arlington Heights, Ill.)

Ambrus was the top collegiate finisher at the 23rd annual Old Timers Classic in Bowling Green, Ky., taking second overall to lead UAB to the team title. The sophomore covered the 5K course in a time of 17:11.19 giving her the fifth-fastest time in the history of the event.

Male Athlete of the Week
Kevin Schwarz - Cincinnati (So., Maineville, Ohio)

Schwarz won the Queen City Invitational 8K-race in a time of 26:12.11 to help lead the Bearcats to the overall team title. Schwarz led a group of Bearcats that took the top eight spots in the race.

NOTING CONFERENCE USA CROSS COUNTRY

WOMEN
CHARLOTTE took the weekend off after finishing in third place at the Wake Forest Invitational last weekend ... CINCINNATI won the Queen City Invitational behind another strong performance by senior RUTH LIMO. The Toledo transfer won her second race in three tries this season finishing the 5K course in 18:58.35. KAREN BERLING and CRISTY DOLL each finished in the top five for the Bearcats posting times of 19:30.71 (3rd collegian, 4th overall) and 19:46.77 (4th collegian, 5th overall), respectively … DE PAUL took second place at the National Catholic Invitational at Notre Dame. Senior LEAH RYGH led the team with a third-place finish posting a time of 17:55, just 15 seconds ahead of teammate and fourth-place finisher ERIN MOFFETT. The Blue Demons will take next weekend off before returning to action on Oct. 2 at the Sean Earl-Lakefront Invitational … EAST CAROLINA finished in second at the Raleigh Invitational. JESSICA COLLINS took third place in the 5K race posting a time of 18:42, which was just one second shy of second place. Senior JOHANNA ALLEN grabbed sixth in 18:53 … HOUSTON traveled to the University of Hawaii for the Big Wave Cross Country Invitational in Honolulu. The Cougars placed third getting a top-10 finish from SHAWNA FLORDIA, while OUMAMA HILL placed 15th overall in the 5K race ... LOUISVILLE did not compete over the weekend and will return to action when the Cardinals host the Greater Louisville Classic at Tom Sawyer Park … MARQUETTE sent its “B” team to compete at the Midwestern Collegiate Championships. Junior TARA HINKE led the way for the Golden Eagles placing 31st with a time of 19:26 (5K) … MEMPHIS had a scheduled off weekend after taking seventh in the Memphis Twilight Classic last weekend hosted by Christian Brothers. The Tigers return to action this weekend in Little Rock at the UALR Open … SAINT LOUIS placed 20th at the National Catholic Invitational. ANISSA REYNOLDS broke the 20-minute barrier placing 53rd overall in 19:54. The Billikens will host their only meet of the season this weekend as they are slated to host the Cross Country-Only National Championships. The meet features schools from across the country that sponsor cross country without the support of a track program … SOUTHERN MISS was the only C-USA squad hampered by Hurricane Ivan as the Golden Eagles’ meet in Tuscaloosa, Ala., was cancelled by the storm. Southern Miss is scheduled to be off this weekend. The Golden Eagles will try to win their third-straight team title at the UNO Invitational on Oct. 2. … TCU placed second at the Texas A&M Invitational and was led by senior MARY KINYANJUI, who won the race for the second-consecutive year. Kinyanjui covered the 5K course in 17:57, which was 15 seconds in front of the pack … TULANE did not have to compete with Hurricane Ivan over the weekend as the Green Wave was scheduled to be off as the powerful storm took aim for the Southeastern United States. Freshman RACHEL BRYAN will look to continue her early season dominance at the LSU Invitational this weekend as she will try to win her third-straight individual title … UAB sophomore ELIZABETH AMBRUS captured her second-straight individual title as she blazed through the 5K course at the Old Timers Classic in Bowling Green, Ky. Ambrus’ time of 17:11.19 was the fifth-best time in the history of the meet as she led the Blazers to the overall team title. UAB had six other finishers in the top 15 … USF kicked off its 2004 campaign at the Florida Invitational. The Bulls had to wait two additional weeks after Hurrican Frances cancelled their scheduled opener at UCF in Orlando. CHRISTA BENTON took sixth place in the 5K race with a time of 17:58.44 as the Bulls finished in third place overall.

MEN
CHARLOTTE took the weekend off after finishing in third place at the Wake Forest Invitational last weekend. ED SCHLICHTER will look to record his third top-10 finish of the season Saturday at the Winthrop Invitational … CINCINNATI dominated the Queen City Invitational as the Bearcats took the top eights spots led by individual champion KEVIN SCHWARZ. The sophomore edged teammate MIKE SMITH by three seconds. The duo pulled away from the next six Bearcats, who all finished within four seconds of each other … DE PAUL took fifth at the National Catholic Invitational at Notre Dame. GAVIN KENNEDY was the Blue Demons’ top finisher in 13th, while teammate RICHARD BYRNE finished one spot behind in 14th. ... EAST CAROLINA joined its women’s squad in second place at the Raleigh Invitational. MATT HANLON led a trio of Pirates in the top 10 with a sixth-place finish. Hanlon completed the 6,400-meter course in 20:52, 13 seconds ahead of teammate KYLE MACKENZIE, who placed ninth. CRAIG SCHMIDT finished 10th in 21:18 ... HOUSTON The University of Houston men's cross country team won the University of Hawaii's Big Wave Cross Country Invitational Saturday, September 18, on Klipper Golf Course in Honolulu, Hawaii. Houston won the team title with a total of 41 team points as junior SESAR FIGUEROA claimed the top spot finishing the 5K course in 16:04. He edged teammate TY STANFIELD, who finished one second behind in second place … LOUISVILLE did not compete over the weekend and will return to action when the Cardinals host the Greater Louisville Classic at Tom Sawyer Park. Redshirt freshman WESLEY KORIR will try to lead the Cardinals to their third-straight team title and claim his third-consecutive individual title … MARQUETTE sent two athletes to the Midwestern Collegiate Championships last weekend. MATT SCOTT took 172nd and DAVID GRANDE placed 183rd. The Golden Eagles’ “A” teams will travel to The Bronx, N.Y., this weekend to compete in the Iona Meet of Champions … TULANE did not have to compete with Hurricane Ivan over the weekend as the Green Wave was scheduled to be off as the powerful storm took aim for the Southeastern United States. Junior PHILIP AAGAARD has been the Green Wave’s top finisher in seven of his nine races in the last two years. The Green Wave travel to Baton Rouge this weekend for the LSU Invitational … SAINT LOUIS finished 13th at the National Catholic Invitational. For the second straight week, PAUL LEMON was the top Billiken men's runner with a time of 27:14 over 8K, good for 52nd overall. JOE PORTER was next for the Bills at 27:20 to place 58th. The Billikens will host their only meet of the season this weekend as they are slated to host the Cross Country-Only National Championships. The meet features schools from across the country that sponsor cross country without the support of a track program … TCU finished sixth among 10 teams at the Texas A&M Invitational. Freshman MATT MANLY, running in just his second race as a collegian, was TCU’s top finisher and placed 23rd overall … USF joined its women’s squad in kicking off the 2004 campaign at the Florida Invitational. The Bulls finished eighth overall as freshman BRANDON DAHLEM made his collegiate debut leading USF with a 31st-place finish. Dahlem covered the 8K course in 27:12.44. Teammate RYAN THOMAS also finished inside the top 50 for the Bulls placing 42nd in 27:39.41.