LetsRun.com Previews The Big East XC Championships
Big East Women - Most Elite Conference In NCAA
Big East Men - Syracuse Pack Might Finally Get Crown
Big East Champs - Are In Wisconsin !?!?
by: LetsRun.com
October 28, 2009
The Big East XC Championships Are In Kenosha
The Big East is a very confusing geographical conference. First of all, there are 28 teams in the conference counting men's and women's programs. Secondly, the Big EAST conference meet is being held in Kenosha, WISCONSIN. We didn't even know there was a Big East program in Wisconsin,
and then we realized that we had spent our entire lives thinking
Marquette was in Indiana, but in fact it's in the great Cheese State.
There are Big East programs in Florida (South Florida), Rhode Island (Providence), Illinois (DePaul), Kentucky (Louisville) and Indiana (Notre Dame). There are Big East teams in places that aren't even states (Georgetown). Who thought a.) it was a good idea to make a college conference spanning an entire continent and b.) to then hold the Big
EAST championship meet as far West as geographically possible? Half the
programs are going to get cut not because of Title IX but thanks to
excessive travel budgets ... but maybe that wouldn't be the worst thing.
Sorry, South Florida.
Teams to watch on the men's side *2008 Big East Results
#10 Georgetown
#14 Syracuse
#17 Providence
#22 Villanova
#25 Louisville
Notre Dame
Women's teams to watch *2008 Big East Women's Results #2 Villanova
#4 West Virginia
#9 Georgetown
#10 Syracuse
#24 Providence
#30 Notre Dame
Men's Race - Syracuse Trying To Hold It Together - Check Out The Stats That Tell The Story
Syracuse and coach Chris Fox ran two significant races this year with significant results from each. The first was in Madison, where the pack-running 'Cuse (who were unranked at the time) beat not only #4 Wisconsin at home but also reigning Big East champions Georgetown.
The Orange then went down to UVA's Panorama Fams Invite and take a look at these numbers: Syracuse's 8th man ran 24:12 and they lost to Virginia. But, they did beat crush Villanova, whose 5th man ran 24:30.
That weekend, Georgetown and Providence decided not to race after the Penn State National was cancelled. Louisville and leader Cory Thorne ran well at Pre-Nats, putting their pack between 24:15 and 25:05.
Georgetown won in 2008 thanks to Andrew Bumbalough winning the race and then a pack of 5 coming in between 24:39 and 24:53. Syracuse looks like they can do the exact same thing in 2009, minus Bumbalough. They put 8 runners under 24:12 in Virginia. Will the Bumbalough factor kill the 'Cuse? Or can Brad Miller, Dan Busby or Tito Medrano get up there close enough to Bumby to get the 'Cuse the win? We'll find out.
Providence's David McCarthy will be up there fighting for the win, and look out for Villanova's Matt Mildenhall.
Men's Predictions
Bumbalough over McCarthy, Syracuse over Georgetown and Providence.
Women's Race - Most Elite Women's Conference In The Country
Look at the latest rankings and you'll be shocked to see that four out of the top ten teams in the country are in the Big East. This isn't totally surprising, considering there are practically dozens of teams in the Big East, but we digress. West Virginia and Villanova are the cream of the crop but Syracuse and Georgetown are very good too.
Villanova and West Virginia crushed the competition at Panorama Farms and Penn State, respectively, in their last tuneups before conference. Last year the Wildcat vs. Mountain-Lady battle was amazing at conference. WVU put 3 in the top 4 and LOST to Villanova and Frances Koons.
This year WVU returns all three of those top runners (Marie Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Clara Grandt) and Villanova is stacked. Georgetown and Syracuse are elite in the big picture but they're fighting for 3rd this Saturday in Wisconsin.
Women's Predictions
WVU and Marie Louise Asselin get the win. Villanova a close second place.
BIG EAST Men's Stats From JK Cincinatti (2008 - 6th) In 2009 - 32nd Pre-Nationals White Finan, Eric (28th Big East 2008, 23rd returner) King, Randy King, Rick Morgan, Tommy (32nd Big East 2008, 26th returner) Connecticut (2008 - 13th) Bubniak, Danny (freshman - 4:14) Johnson, Scott Judd, Andrew DePaul (2008 - 11th) Kolacz, Jakub (52nd Big East 2008, 39th returner) Udzielak, Greg (60th Big East 2008, 45th returner) Georgetown (2008 - 1st) In 2009 - 2nd Wisconsin adidas Bumbalough, Andrew (1st Big East 2008, 1st returner, 13th NCAA 2008 - All-American, 22nd NCAA 2007 - All-American) Dennin, Mark Furcht, Ben (freshman - 4:15, 8:24 3,000, FL finalist) Grimes, James (21st Big East 2008, 16th returner, 225th NCAA 2008) Krisch, Mike (10th Big East 2008, 8th returner, 117th NCAA 2008) Lumbar, T.C. Miller, Levi (8th Big East 2008, 7th returner, 35th NCAA 2008 - All-American) Peavey, Bobby (freshman - 4:09, 9:04 2 mile) Roberts, Sandy Sorensen, Dylan (freshman - 4:12, 9:05, FL All-American) Springer, Andrew (freshman - 4:02 mile, 9:02 2 mile, FL finalist) Taye, Alayew (7th Big East 2008, 6th returner, 122nd NCAA 2008) Louisville (2008 - 8th) In 2009 - 9th Pre-Nationals White Bruce, Matt (57th Big East 2008, 43rd returner) Hibbs, Evan (freshman - 1:53, 4:16, FL finalist) Hughes, Matt (22nd Big East 2008, 17th returner) Lovelace, Luke (61st Big East 2008, 46th returner) McClain, Scott (27th Big East 2008, 22nd returner) Thorne, Cory Marquette (2008 - 7th) In 2009 - 30th Pre-Nationals Blue Agnew, Spencer (freshman - 9:13) Callahan, Connor (freshman - 9:23) Cleland, Brice (35th Big East 2008, 28th returner) Johnson, Blake (55th Big East 2008, 41st returner) Maag, Patrick (freshman - 8:44 3,000) Ross, Evan (freshman - 1:51, 4:11) Szczech, Nick (46th Big East 2008, 35th returner) Notre Dame (2008 - 2nd) In 2009 - 15th Pre-Nationals White Carlson, Jordan (45th Big East 2008, 34th returner) Hardin, Josh (freshman - 9:22) Jackson, Dan (18th Big East 2008, 13th returner, NCAA 2008) Jacobs, Ryan (29th Big East 2008, 24th returner, NCAA 2008) Malette, John Paul (Canada - 3:45 1,500) Miller, Joe (14th Big East 2008, 10th returner, NCAA 2008) Rae, Jeremy (Canada - 1:50, 3:45 1,500) Springer, Paul (17th Big East 2008, 12th returner, NCAA 2008) Walker, Jake (13th Big East 2008, 9th returner, NCAA 2008) Pittsburgh (2008 - 9th) Christopher, Joshua (41st Big East 2008, 32nd returner) Karies, Greg (40th Big East 2008, 31st returner) Miller, Teddy (49th Big East 2008, 37th returner) Providence (2008 - 4th) In 2009 - 2nd Notre Dame Ali, Ahmed (freshman - 9:24) Anderson, Michael (25th Big East 2008, 20th returner, 235th NCAA 2008, 195th NCAA 2007) Carey, Lee (111th NCAA 2008) Channon, Dominic (31st Big East 2008, 25th returner, 187th NCAA 2008) Desebato, Patrick (freshman - 8:45 3,000) Hankinson, Stephen (58th Big East 2008, 44th returner, 249th NCAA 2008) Matthews, Julian (Auburn transfer - 3:46 1,500, 175th NCAA 2008) McCarthy, David (3rd Big East 2008, 2nd returner, 19th NCAA 2008 - All-American, 68th NCAA 2007) McLaren, Hayden (16th Big East 2008, 11th returner, 91st NCAA 2008, 173rd NCAA 2007, 161st NCAA 2006) Webb, Tom (54th Big East 2008, 40th returner, 181st NCAA 2007) Rutgers (2008 - 10th) Cronin, Kevin (69th Big East 2008, 52nd returner) Miehe, Nick (47th Big East 2008, 36th returner) Sataluri, Jayram (56th Big East, 42nd returner) Seton Hall (2008 - 12th) Parker, Dwight (97th Big East 2008, 75th returner) South Florida (2008 - 14th) Van Zile, Kyle (99th Big East 2008, 77th returner) Wise, Phillip (81st Big East 2008, 61st returner) Syracuse (2008 - 5th) In 2009 - 1st Wisconsin adidas, 2nd Panorama Farms Bixler, Curtis (65th Big East 2008, 49th returner) Bubniak, Joey (freshman - 4:14) Busby, Dan (19th Big East 2008, 14th returner, 83rd NCAA 2008) Dupont, Pat (33rd Big East 2008, 27th returner) Graves, Griff (38th Big East 2008, 30th returner) Miller, Brad (4th Big East 2008, 3rd returner, 127th NCAA 2008) Medrano, Tito (26th Big East 2008, 21st returner) Molke, Robert (freshman - 4:12, 9:10) Murdoch, Steve (50th Big East 2008, 38th returner) Rivers, Zach Weeks, Steve (43rd Big East 2008, 33rd returner) Whelan, Joe (freshman - 9:11, 9:09 steeple, FL All-American) Villanova (2008 - 3rd) In 2009 - 5th Dellinger, 3rd Panorama Farms Beamish, Hugo (6th Big East 2008, 5th returner, 72nd NCAA 2008) Belko, Rudy (63rd Big East 2008, 47th returner) Capecci, Keith (20th Big East 2008, 15th returner, 177th NCAA 2008, 241st NCAA 2007) Chris, Brian (37th Big East 2008, 29th returner) Guest, Ben (5th Big East 2008, 4th returner, 101st NCAA 2007) Lewis, Daniel (23rd Big East 2008, 18th returner, 131st NCAA 2008) Mackenzie, Carl (24th Big East 2008, 19th returner, 199th NCAA 2008) Williams, Chris (240th NCAA 2008)
