10/22/05–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USA CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS PLACE SECOND AND THIRD
AT TROY'S COACH "O" INVITATIONAL
CONTACT:
Dwayne Gatlin
TROY,
Ala. - In their final meet before the Sun Belt Conference
Championships, the South Alabama men's and women's cross country
teams traveled to in-state conference rival Troy for the Annual
Coach "O" Invitational, Saturday. The women took home
second place honors with 50 points and the men captured third with
71 points. Troy's men and women won the team events.
"I am very
proud of what our team did being a little shorthanded," head
coach Lee Evans said, "Everyone that ran did very well."
The Lady Jags
were led over the two-mile course by Ajoke Odumosu, who finished
with a time of 13:06. The junior placed fourth overall this weekend
after having to sit out last weekend's Chile Pepper Invitational
with an injury.
Sophomore Cassandra
Perkins continued her stellar season with an eighth overall finish.
The former Bellevue West (Neb.) star ran a time of 13:18.
Freshman Jessica
Miller, like Odumosu was injured last weekend, but came through
in 10th place with a time of 13:21.
Junior captain
Lauren Lemon (13:50) and freshman Lindsey White (13:57) also finished
in the top-20 for the Lady Jags. Lemon placed 15th while White was
19th overall.
Senior Florence
Edi (14:39, 26th), sophomore Melissa Womble (14:59, 29th) and sophomore
Nikki Harris (18:15, 34th) rounded out the finishes for the Lady
Jags. Senior Yvonne Li was unable to compete.
As the women's
team was without one of their top runners, the men's team was also
shorthanded. Juniors Vincent Rono, Tonny Okello, and Harry Larubi
sat out this week, leaving Stephen Larubi the top man on the traveling
squad. Stephen finished third in the men's 5K run with a time of
16:16.
Senior Eric
Burch was one of two Jags to make their season debuts at Troy. Birch
captured 10th with a time of 17:48.
Senior captains
Anthony Murphy (18:29) and Jeremiah Carter (18:36) also placed 20th
and 21st, respectively.
Junior Robert
Hardage, making his 2005 debut finished in a time of 23:22. The
Pascagoula, Miss. native was 36th overall.
The Jaguars
cross country teams will travel to Miami, Fla. to compete in the
2005 Sun Belt Cross Country Championships on Oct. 29.
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