Tulane University
Ragin' Cajun Invitational
Second Straight Cross Country Victory for Tulane Men
Sep 21, 2002 | Cross Country
Sept. 21, 2002
LAFAYETTE, La. - The Tulane University men's cross country team picked up its second consecutive victory by winning the Ragin' Cajun Invitational at Acadiana Park on Saturday morning. The Green Wave women took second place in the meet.
Tulane's men scored 81 points to edge Lamar by just two points in the eight-team field. Southeastern Louisiana was third with 112 points. Senior Adam Leskis (Spokane, Wash.) was the top finisher for the Wave for the third straight week, recording a time of 28:41 to take fifth place on the eight-kilometer course.
"The course was muddy and challenging, but I have been happy with the heart the men have shown in the last two meets," Tulane head coach Heather Van Norman said. "Heart is something you can not coach or teach. It is something they have inside them. They are really stepping up."
The Green Wave women also had another strong meet, taking second place with 52 points, just behind UNO's 49 points. Nicholls State had 73 points for third place in the nine-team event.
For the third meet in a row, junior Eva Lustigova (Liberec, Czaech Republic) paced the Wave, covering the five-kilometer course in 19:26, to earn fourth place.
On the men's side, Leskis was followed by sophomore Will Landry (New Iberia, La.), who took eight place at 29 minutes even. Senior Luke Hooper (Norman, Okla.), a newcomer to the team, finished in 12th place with a time of 29:33. The individual winner was Grambling's Feedly Bonneau with a clocking of 27:29.
The second finisher for the Green Wave women was sophomore Megan Whelton (New Orleans, La.), who ran a 20:31 race for ninth place. Tulane swept the 12th, 13th and 14th spots as sophomore Mandy Hopper (Charlotte, N.C.), junior Carlyne Pradieu (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and freshman Lisa Green (Marietta, Ga.) finished within 11 seconds of each other.
The women's individual winner was Pavlina Vondrkova from UNO with a time of 17:57.
Tulane returns to action next Saturday, Sept. 28, at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La.
Tulane Finishers:
Women (5,000 meters):
4. Eva Lustigova, 19:26
9. Megan Whelton, 20:31
12. Mandy Hopper, 20:52
13. Carlyne Pradieu, 20:53
14. Lisa Green, 21:01
34. Sheena Garwood, 22:17
Men (8,000 meters):
5. Adam Leskis, 28:41
8. Will Landry, 29:00
12. Luke Hooper, 29:26
21. Joakim Daun, 30:00
30. Ryan Gallagher, 31:11
64. Clement Abai, 36:53
