Cross Country Qualifies For Nationals
Jorge Torres Establishes Fourth Course Record, Sara Gorton Fourth In Women's Race
Nov. 16, 2002
Albuquerque, N.M. - Jorge Torres established a fourth course record and Sara Gorton finished fourth as Colorado's third-ranked men's and women's cross country teams earned automatic bid to next week's NCAA Championships with runner-up finishes at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships at the University of New Mexico North Golf Course here Saturday morning.
"We did what we came here to do, but I can't say that we did it in great style," said head coach Mark Wetmore. "I don't know... maybe we were looking beyond this race. We're often better in 10 days than we are in this weekend, which we need to hope for."
Top-ranked and defending national champion Brigham Young won the women's race while eighth-ranked Northern Arizona had its top five runners in the top-30 to take the men's team title.
The women's race was run in a pack from the starting gun until the final 500-meters when BYU's Manova Michaela broke away from the pack of Nilsson Ida (Northern Arizona), teammate Anderson Kassie and Colorado's Sara Gorton and Molly Austin for the win. Michaela won with just one second to spare over Ida who finished just one second ahead of Kassie. The top five times were within 11 seconds of the race winning 20 minutes, 31 seconds.
But it was an all BYU team race which placed its top five runners among the top-10 finishers to Colorado's three as the Buffs ran 4-5-9-23-25 for 66 points, a distant 37 behind the Cougars' 29.
"It was a really tiring race," said Gorton. "I haven't raced in the front pack during an entire race and it was a little bit tougher because of the altitude. We were running a pretty good pace (5:30) which was maybe the equivalent had we been running at sea level. It was good that Molly and I worked together to keep the pace out front. But it was a tough workout as I pushed the pace with 500-m to go, then with 400 to go it was Molly, Ida, Michaela and I then I timed out at the end."
"I wanted to finish to finish descent and not think about nationals, just put it to the side," said Austin. Running with the pack the whole race was really difficult. It was tough mentally when you know that it was going to come down to a kick. It was one more race to give us experience for nationals and we'll have to take that with us."
Behind Gorton's 20:39 and Austin's 20:42, Natalie Florence had her best career national qualifying finish with a ninth place effort in 21:20. Tera Moody was CU's fourth finisher in 21:59 while freshman Jackie Zeigle was the Buffs' top newcomer, covering the 6k women's course in 22:03 to round out CU's scoring.
"It was a better run than at Big 12s, but I'm not happy," explained Zeigle who had run just her second race of the season. "I don't think that I pushed the envelope, but I died in the end. If I had started slower I could have caught more runners in the end, but I wanted to stay in the front pack, but then I started to drop back after 3k."
The men's 10k was all Jorge Torres who had BYU's Kip Kangigo on his heels the first half of the 10k race before taking the reigns of the race while Kangigo, considered Torres' top competitor coming into the race having beaten defending national champion Boaz Cheboiwa earlier in the season, eventually fell off Torres' pace at the three-mile mark and eventually finished 28th.
Torres would establish the course record in 29 minutes, 33 seconds, a convincing 38 seconds over individual runner-up Antony Ford of Montana (30:11). With the win, Torres remains undefeated in '02, having won four races in a combined 2:05.
"I came out here to run a conservative race," said Torres. "I didn't care if I finished first or 20th, I just wanted us to get to the next round. I had a bigger lead than I wanted, but when I pulled away, no one responded. I slowed it up a lot after the last three or four kilometers to get ready for next week. I was surprised (on the margin of victory), Kip is one of the best runners in the region. I didn't want to kick at the finish, so things played out right."
Ed Torres methodically worked his way through the 10k, as he was in the second pack early on, then was in ninth after the second loop and sixth just meters later before finishing a career-best third today, "I just kept moving up kilometer by kilometer, a little at a time and was in the top-10 by the 5k and in third at the 8k mark. I just ran a pace to qualify and save my legs for next week."
Freshman Billy Nelson continues to improve, as he finished as CU's third runner, 20th overall, out-kicking senior Steve Slattery (who would finish 23rd) in the final meters to finish in 30:50, just two ticks ahead of Slattery (30:52). Jon Severy finished 46th (31:37) to complete CU's scoring efforts.
"I pretty much ran how I wanted. At the 7k I was a little tired and with 3k left I got my second wind and kept pace and stride with Slattery. In the last mile it was Steve and I and we picked it up and kicked with 700-meters to go. It worked out to be a really good race, even at altitude it was a pretty good time."
"It was a wonderful race for Jorge," complimented Wetmore. "Kangigo is considered one of the best two or three runners in the country early in the season, but Jorge handed it to him. Ed looked very well and Billy had a descent day for a guy who sat out of a block of training. Jackie took a nice step, although she came out too aggressively and could have finished better. The rest of the teams looked a little flat."
The Buffs have just 10 days to evaluate this morning's race before taking on the rest of the country at the NCAA Championships Monday, Nov. 25 in Terre Haute, Ind.
"Whatever Steve Slattery has (a cold) needs to get in, through and out of him for him to run what he can and the rest need to rest up and stick to the race plan," said Wetmore. "Some agreed to a race plan and didn't follow it, which is the most disappointing part of today. The race won't go well if you violate your own plan in the first two minutes."
NCAA MOUNTAIN REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS (Albuquerque)