TCU Cross Country Set For Chile Pepper Saturday
10/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 12, 2004
The TCU men's and women's cross country teams return to action on Saturday when they travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take part in the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival. As will be the case at the national meet in November, the women will compete on a 6K course, while the men will run a 10K distance.
"There are two huge meets in the nation this weekend - the pre-nationals and the Chile Pepper," said TCU cross country coach Patrick Cunniff. "The competition is always very good at the Chile Pepper. The distance is a little longer than what both the men and women have been competing at this year, so it's a good opportunity to learn how to pace for that distance and still maintain strength and competitiveness throughout the race. This is also the final dress rehearsal before the conference meet," continued Cunniff. "We are looking for a solid team performance to propel us into the conference meet on a positive note."
The TCU women will send eight runners to the starting line, with senior leader Mary Kinyanjui back in action after missing the Cowboy Jamboree two weeks ago with a slight calf injury. Other TCU competitors include Halie Bullin, Elese Dawson, McKale Davis, Cassie Hostick, Pattie Parker, Calandra Stewart and Katrina Zielinski. The TCU men have entered eight runners, including Houston Bolin, Johnathan Bundren, David Harris, Steven Lenney, Matt Manly, Brett McKnight, Alex Morris and J.T. Reinert.
"Having Mary back and healthy should help the women's team in a number of ways," said Cunniff. "For the men, the 10K rewards strength and intelligence in racing. It will be a great strength workout for us and should help us to run more aggressively at both the conference and regional meets."
Last season, the TCU women placed seventh among 37 schools competing at the Chile Pepper, with Mary Kinyanjui earning runner up honors individually. The TCU men finished 26th among 33 schools.
This will be the final tune up for the Horned Frog cross country team prior to the Conference USA Championships, which are scheduled for Chicago, Ill. on Saturday, October 30.
Players Mentioned
