Oct. 29, 2010
LARAMIE, Wyo. -
Marianne Hogan finished 20th of 71 runners to lead San Diego State to a seventh-place finish at the 2010 Mountain West Conference Cross Country Championships Friday morning at Jacoby Golf Course in Laramie, Wyo. It was the Aztecs' best team finish since taking fifth in 2005 and the second consecutive championship meet that they improved on their previous year's performance (eighth in 2009, ninth in 2008).
Competing at an elevation of 7,220 feet, SDSU had the best finish of the non-elevation schools with 214 points, ahead of UNLV (216) and TCU (219). The six teams that train at elevation took the top spots, led by 10th-ranked New Mexico (20). Colorado State finished second with 60 points, followed by Brigham Young (72), Air Force (132), Utah (139) and host Wyoming (141).
"As a team, we showed how mentally strong we are," head coach Shelia Burrell said. "Racing at 7,200 feet was a test of our mental toughness. We walked away feeling good about our effort. It's hard to prepare for a place like Laramie."
San Diego State was once again led by Hogan, who improved 48 places from a year ago to take 20th over the 6,000-meter course with a time of 22 minutes, 56.4 seconds. A two-time MWC Athlete of the Week, Hogan has led the team in all five races this season.
Sara Beyers improved her showing by one place at this year's championships, taking 49th in 24:23.5. Beyers was followed by the trio of Josefine Koskinen (24:49.9), Alma Escobar (24:55.2) and Jordan Davis (25:05.3), who finished 54th, 55th and 56th, respectively. Competing in her first-ever MWC Championship race, Sabrina Rathor crossed the finish line in 66th-place with a 27:03.3 clocking.
The Aztecs will travel to the NCAA West Regional Championships in Springfield, Ore., on Nov. 13.
2010 MWC Cross Country Championships
Jacoby Golf Course - Laramie, Wyo.
Team Results
1. No. 10 New Mexico - 20
2. Colorado State - 60
3. Brigham Young - 72
4. Air Force - 132
5. Utah - 139
6. Wyoming - 141
7. San Diego State - 214
8. UNLV - 216
9. TCU - 219
6K Individual Results
(Top five and SDSU results only; Out of 71 runners)
1. Natalie Gray (UNM) - 21:20.7
2. Sarah Waldron (UNM) - 21:32.9
3. Ruth Senior (UNM) - 21:38.8
4. Ellie Keyser (CSU) - 21:44.1
5. Kate Bowen (BYU) - 21:46.1
20. Marianne Hogan (SDSU) - 22:56.4
49. Sara Beyers (SDSU) - 24:23.5
54. Josefine Koskinen (SDSU) - 24:49.9
55. Alma Escobar (SDSU) - 24:55.2
56. Jordan Davis (SDSU) - 25:05.3
66. Sabrina Rathor (SDSU) - 27:03.3
DNF. Amy Brown (SDSU)