Issued: October 1, 2003

CROSS COUNTRY TO HOST SHORT AND LONG COURSE CHALLENGE

EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire men's and women's cross country teams will be hosting the 2003 Midwest Short and Long Course Challenge this Friday at the Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax beginning at 3:30.

The women runners will kick off the event with the women's 3k at 3:30. The event will feature 21 schools, including five WIAC schools other than the Blugolds. The highest ranked team in the event is UW-Oshkosh, who comes into the Midwest Challenge ranked 10th in the current NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country poll. Luther College (IA) is the only other ranked team coming into the event at 17th in the nation.

The women Blugolds have had a good season so far, highlighted by a first place finish out of 19 schools at the St. Olaf Invitational on September 20. Melissa Wright (Sr.-Appleton/Kimberly) and Jenny Warmke (So.-Black River Falls) have paced the Blugolds so far, taking first and second place at each of the Blugolds last two events. Wright took sixth place overall in the 6k event in St. Olaf with a time of 3:40 while Warmke took seventh just eight seconds back.

The men runners will be in action at 4:00 with the 5k run. The event will feature 19 schools, seven from the WIAC, including four ranked in the top 25 in the country. UW-Oshkosh comes in as the highest ranked team in the event, as they enter the Midwest Challenge ranked third in the country. The Eagles from La Crosse will come into the event ranked fifth in the nation while St. Thomas is ranked 18th. The Blugolds enter the competition ranked 24th in the country.

Eau Claire has had an excellent season to date as they come in nationally ranked for the first time in recent history. The Blugolds have competed in two events this fall, highlighted by a sixth place finish out of 27 teams at the Midwest Collegiate Championship hosted by Division II UW-Parkside. Micah Hernandez (Jr.-Milwaukee/Wisconsin Lutheran) and Zach Severson (So.-Sun Prairie) led the way for the Blugolds with times of 26:09 and 26:10 respectively.

The Blugolds also competed in the Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota and took 16th place out of 43 teams. Top runner for the Blugolds was Matt Goertz (Sr.-Manitowoc/Lincoln) who finished in 42nd place out of 400 runners with a time of 26:31. Ben Schmiege (Jr.-Madison/Lakeside Lutheran) took second on the Blugold roster with a time of 26:50 to finish in 60th place overall.

After the men's 5k the women will race again in the 6k starting a 4:40. The final event, the men's 8k, will begin at 5:30.