Hurricanes Set for ACC Cross Country Championships
Oct. 30, 2009
CORAL GABLES – The University of Miami cross country teams are ready for the Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championships to be held in Cary, N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 31. The 56th running of the men’s championship will commence at 9:30 a.m. with the 32nd edition of women’s race set to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the WakeMed Soccer Park Course.
The top five times for each squad will count for the total team score and for the men on the 8k course, only six student-athletes will be competing. In all five races this season, junior Charles Michel has been the top finisher – with his season-best time on an 8k course coming at the Great American Cross Country Festival (25:57) – which was on the same WakeMed course back on Oct. 2.
Julio Bonilla, the lone senior running from either the men’s or women’s team, has finished second in each of the season’s five races and along with freshman Greg Kaczka will look to lead the team to an improvement of last year’s ACC score of 372.
“The teams have improved each race this season,” said assistant cross country coach Damon Griffiths. “The men will need Charlie, Julio and Greg to mix it up with the lead pack.”
Also running for the men will be sophomore Matthew Wilson and freshmen Reginald Buford and Damon Campbell.
The women will hit the 5k course at 10:30 a.m. following the men and will feature a contingent of nine runners. So far this season, sophomore Page Price has been the leader as she led the team in three races. However, showing marked improvement every week, have been sophomore Anna Bona who was the top Hurricane at the Walt Disney World Classic and Katharine Woodard – the top finisher at the FGCU Cross Country Invitational.
Four other juniors, Monika Freiser, Caitlin Knapp, Emma Steppe and Jackie Sullivan will provide experience for Miami while sophomores Casey Crist and Nehali Patel look to offer depth in seeking improvement on 2008’s 392 points.
“I expect a couple of the women to step up big this weekend,” added Griffiths.
Visit hurricanesports.com on Saturday for the meet results and recap.
