10/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The UT Arlington men's and women's cross country teams held their own Saturday morning against powerhouse fields in the Mavericks' first-ever trip to the Pre-National Invitational.
The men finished 22nd among 46 teams with 616 points, while the women placed 38th out of 43 (906 points). Both squads were selected to run in the more prestigious Blue Race based on their high regional rankings. The field included the nation's top two men's programs (Colorado and Oregon) and three of the top four women's squads (Michigan, Oregon and Georgetown).
"It is hard to find a tougher meet in the United States than the one we just finished," UTA coach John Sauerhage said. "It was a good experience for us. We weren't intimated, and we were ready to run. Both teams will be ready for the conference meet in two weeks."
Eric Ojeda led the men's team, placing 69th individually out of 309 entrants. He navigated the 8k layout in 25:15.8. Craig Lautenslager was the second Maverick to cross the line, coming in 106th in 25:30.7.
Ryan Tilotta, who placed 125th (25:38.7) and Michael Guerrero (147th, 25:45.9), also placed in the top half of the field. Grant Copeland was the team's final point scorer, finishing 169th (25:56.4).
Virgilio Martinez (229th, 26:22.4) and Robert Gribble (297th, 27:30.9) rounded out the Mavs' contingent.
On the women's side, Hannah Nilsson finished as the top UTA runner, placing 129th out of nearly 300 runners with a 6k clocking of 22:17.1. Nilsson was followed closely by 135th-place finisher Gabriela Alfonzo (22:18.6).
Katelyn Hayward landed in 170th position with a time of 22:33.2, while Ashly Wright (214th, 22:51.2) and Tori Shelton (258th, 23:23.2) were the team's final scorers. Courtney Mose (293rd, 26:33.9) also competed.
Indiana State's LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, the site of the NCAA Championships in November, proved to be an even more difficult layout than usual, as soggy conditions coupled with cool, breezy weather led to slower times.
It was the final regular season meet of the year for the Mavericks. The Sun Belt Conference Championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 2, in Mobile, Ala.
