2003 CONFERENCE USA CROSS COUNTRY
(October 13, 2003)

C-USA ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Women – Cassie Ficken, Charlotte

Ficken won the Furman Invitational on Saturday, completing the 5K race with a time of 18:40.59. In just her second meet of the season, Ficken’s first-place finish led her team to the overall victory.

Men – Adam Didyk, Memphis

Didyk led the Tigers at the Saluki Invitational on Saturday with a third-place finish, the highest of any Memphis runner this season. He covered the 8K course in 25:34.33, a personal best.

Previous Athletes of the Week:
Women
S8: Christa Benton, USF
S15: Bessie Hatch, Tulane
S22: Mary Kinyanjui, TCU
S29: Bessie Hatch, Tulane
O6: Jodi Jakubek, Marquette

Men
S8: Phillip Aagaard, Tulane
S15: Wes Seacat, Louisville
S22: Eric Bair, Cincinnati
S29: Phillip Aagaard, Tulane
O6: Kyle MacKenzie, East Carolina


Upcoming Schedules
Friday, Oct. 17
Tulane: Sam Houston Invitational (Huntsville, Texas)

Saturday, Oct. 18
Charlotte: North Carolina Collegiate Championships (Greenville, N.C.)
Cincinnati: Illini Challenge (Champaign, Ill.)
DePaul: Illini Challenge (Champaign, Ill.)
East Carolina: North Carolina Collegiate Championships (Greenville, N.C.)
Houston: Arkansas Chili Pepper Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Louisville: Evansville Invitational (Evansville, Ill.)
Marquette: Pre-NCAA Invitational (Waterloo, Iowa)
Memphis: Arkansas Chili Pepper Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Saint Louis: Evansville Invitational (Evansville, Ill.)
USF: Penn State Invitational (University Park, Pa.)
TCU: Arkansas Chili Pepper Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
UAB: Arkansas Chili Pepper Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Conference USA Cross Country Rankings are compiled and updated each week by Flash Results and Data. For the most recent times and rankings, go to www.flashresults.com/flashtexas

NOTING CONFERENCE USA CROSS COUNTRY
Women
Charlotte won the Furman Invitational on Saturday, placing three runners in the top 10. CASSIE FICKEN led the 49er women, finishing first overall and covering the 5K course in 18:40.59. TSEHAYE DAGNACHEW was close behind, finishing in fourth place (18:55.47). Also cracking the top ten was ANDRIA CRAIG, who placed eighth (19:15.71). Charlotte returns to action next weekend at the North Carolina Collegiate Championships … Cincinnati placed fifth at the All-Ohio Championships on Friday. RUTH LIMO was the top runner for the Bearcats, placing seventh (18:34.20) and beating her previous best time of the season by nine seconds. CRISTY DOLL finished second on the team with a 36th-place finish (19:29.80). ABI HAMRICK was third for Cincinnati, placing 47th (19:36.40). Cincinnati will be back in action on Saturday at the Illini Challenge in Champaign, Ill. … Louisville finished strong at the Saluki Invitational on Saturday as the Cardinals placed third overall and were paced by AMANDA BELL. Bell finished second and covered the 5K course in 18:29.94 to record her best finish of the season and her fifth top-10 showing this year. HOLLY GEERS ran a season-best time of 19:31.10 to finish 15th, while MAREA INGWERSEN placed 20th (19:49.26). Rounding out the Cardinal scorers were EMILY DAUNHAUER and CORRYN MCCRAE, who placed 23rd and 24th, respectively. The Cardinals return to action on Saturday when they travel to Evansville, Ind., for the Evansville Invitational … Southern Miss placed 11th at the Auburn Invitational on Friday. CASSANDRA GOODSON continued to lead her team, placing 35th overall and covering the 5K course in 19:12.93. Right behind her was LYDIA CHEPKWONY, who placed 39th (19:15.95). Other finishers for the Golden Eagles included BECCA WISEMAN, finishing 48th (19:29.09), KERI WHITE, placing 62nd (19:44.03), and KAREN TANKERSLEY taking 95th (20:16.82) … Tulane competed in its largest event of the year on Friday, at the Auburn Invitational where the Green Wave finished ninth out of a field of 32 teams. Once again, the Green Wave were paced by the combination of BESSIE HATCH and LISA GREEN. Hatch has led the Wave in all five of her collegiate races, including her 19th-place effort on Friday, covering the 5K course in 18:45.41. Green was the Wave's No. 2 finisher for the fifth race in a row, placing 30th in the 272-runner event and recording a time of 18:57.24. Tulane returns to action next Friday at the Sam Houston Invitational in Huntsville, Texas … UAB placed 26th out of 32 teams at the Auburn Invitational on Friday. The Blazers ran their "B" team and were led by freshman ADEL ANDERSON. Anderson finished 111th, covering the 5K course in 20:19.45. ADA HUSSEIN was UAB's second-best finisher, placing 184th (21:22.35) while ADIE SANDER finished 190th (21:27.84). Next, UAB travels to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Chile Pepper Invitational on Saturday.

Men
Charlotte finished fourth at the Furman Invitational on Saturday. ANDREW MANNING led the 49ers, placing 15th and covering the 8K course in 26:58.03. JUMIL MUHAIMIN was the second-best finisher for Charlotte, placing 21st. The 49ers are back in action next weekend at the North Carolina Collegiate Championships … Cincinnati placed second at the All-Ohio Championships on Friday. ANDY WIETMARSCHEN led UC, finishing fifth and recording a time of 26:18.60, the fastest time for a Cincinnati runner this year. ERIC BAIR was just two spots behind, tying the previous fastest time (26:26.60) and TAYLOR GARVIN finished just five spots behind him in 12th place (26:37.10). Cincinnati returns to action on Saturday at the Illini Challenge … Memphis placed fourth at the Saluki Invitational on Saturday. ADAM DIDYK placed third in the 8K race (25:34.33), the highest finish for any Tiger this fall. SZABI KARADI also finished in the top ten (26:03.37), placing eighth. KYM MORGAN finished 13th with a time of 26:15.56 while other Tiger runners included ISTVAN KEREKJARTO (27:51.57) and IMRAN MAHMOOD (28:43.49). The Tigers will compete next at the Arkansas Chilli Pepper Invitational on Saturday … Tulane finished 17th in a field of 29 teams at the Auburn Invitational at Indian Pines Golf Course on Friday. RYAN GALLAGHER was the top Green Wave finisher, easily recording a personal-best time by covering the 8K course in 26:48.75. He earned 70th place in the 259-runner field. PHILIP AAGAARD was second for the Wave and 91st overall (27:05.45). Tulane returns to action on Friday at the Sam Houston Invitational in Huntsville, Texas.

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