Tulane University
Conference USA Championships
Young Green Wave Improves at C-USA Cross Country Championships
Nov 1, 2003 | Cross Country
Nov. 1, 2003
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tulane University men's and women's cross country teams both improved on last year at the Conference USA Championships on Saturday morning at the University of South Florida Golf Course. The Green Wave women finished seventh, while the men were 10th. Last year's teams finished 10th and 11th, respectively.
For the seventh race this season, Tulane's women were led by sophomore Lisa Green (Marietta, Ga.) and freshman Bessie Hatch (Ojai, Calif.). Green led the Wave for the first time this year, finishing 17th overall, while Hatch was just behind at 25th. Green posted a career-best six-kilometer time of 22:05.30, while Hatch recorded a time of 22:37.30, also a career-best. Five of the seven Tulane women's runners posted personal best times in a 6K race.
"We ran well and our young runners gave their full effort," Tulane coach Heather Van Norman said. "Lisa Green ran the way I hoped she would in a championship event, putting it all on the line; and Bessie was incredible again. They have had such great seasons. We're a young team and I see a lot of potential for us."
The Tulane men started and finished together with all five scorers closing within 45 seconds of each other. Junior Philip Aagaard (Linkoping, Sweden) had a time of 26:37.60 to finish 38th place to lead the Wave in the event.
"Our men did a great job of sticking together and running together; we are not a 10th-place team," Van Norman said. "We would have finished higher but the teams just ahead of us each had one outstanding individual to lift their score, but our team effort was great to see."
Marquette won both the men's and women's championship in the event. The Golden Eagle women won for the fourth straight year and the sixth time in league history, tallying 43 points, while TCU finished second with 55 points and USF was third with 118 points. Tulane had 171 points for its seventh-place finish.
On the men's side, Marquette tallied 43 points as well for the victory, after taking second in 2002. Cincinnati's 88 points gave the Bearcats second place while Louisville took third with 102 points. Tulane had 236 points.
East Carolina, which finished eighth, had the top individual male, as Kyle MacKenzie won the race with a time of 25:07.20. TCU, the ninth place team, was boosted by a ninth-place effort by its top runner.
Following Green and Hatch for the Wave was junior Birka Wicke (Edermunde, Germany) who finished 29th with her fastest 6K time of 22:47.90. Junior Mandy Hopper (Charlotte, N.C.) was 39th overall at 23:07.70 while freshman Eva Gordon (Atlanta, Ga.) finished strong to earn 60th place to round out the scorers for the Green Wave.
Aagaard's 38th place finish led the pack of Wave men, while senior Phillip Romero (Albuquerque, N.M.) was 43rd with a career-best 8K time of 26:46.90. Senior Ryan Gallagher (New Orleans, La.) took 48th at 26:52.10; freshman Tyler Chapman (Flower Mound, Texas) was 50th at 26:56.80; and freshman Kevin Martes (South Easton, Mass.) was 56th at 27:21.10.
Women (six kilometers):
18. Lisa Green: 22:05.30 (Career-best)
25. Bessie Hatch: 22:37.30 (Career-best)
29. Birka Wicke: 22:47.90 (Career-best)
39. Mandy Hopper: 23:07.70
60. Eva Gordon: 24:01.70 (Career-best)
65. Erin Colligan: 24:10.90 (Career-best)
70. Eva Lustigova: 24:21.30
Men (eight kilometers):
38. Philip Aagaard: 26:37.60
43. Phillip Romero: 26:46.90 (Career-best)
48. Ryan Gallagher: 26:52.10
50. Tyler Chapman: 26:56.80 (Career-best)
56. Kevin Martes: 27:21.10
62. Will Landry: 27:36.80 (Career-best)
70. Luke Hooper: 28:27.00
Players Mentioned
