Gorry, cross country set sights on national appearance
With the season just five days old, the men’s and women’s cross country teams have both established their season-long goal — a Western Athletic Conference title.
Following consecutive conference championships in 2001 and 2002, the women finished third at the WAC meet in Belmont, Calif., last year behind the University of Nevada and the University of Texas-El Paso. After finishing seventh in 18 minutes, 14 seconds as a freshman in 2002, Kate Gorry took third with a time of 17:20 — just 13 seconds behind then-senior Abigail McAllister of Nevada — as a sophomore last year. Gorry’s fourth-place finish in the NCAA regional qualified her individually for the NCAA Championships. Gorry’s finished, but her qualification was the first for a Rice athlete since Erin Brand (Baker ‘02) in 1997.
The women’s team has added six freshman runners to its roster — one of the largest classes in the history of women’s cross country at Rice, women’s assistant track and field coach in charge of cross country Jim Bevan said.
“This has to be one of the youngest and most talented teams this university has had in a long time,” Bevan said. “As a whole, the team looks to be in great shape. Last year’s runners are more experienced, and the incoming girls have much to contribute.”
Junior Anna Reeve — who redshirted last season after finishing 59th at the WAC Championships in 2002 — said the influx of freshmen has the team setting higher goals this season.
“As always, our main goal is to capture the WAC title, but with all the talent on this team what we’re really looking for is a shot at nationals,” Reeve said. “This is a team that definitely has the potential.”
The women’s team is a young one, as over half the team members are freshmen or sophomores, and hopes to add to its streak of six consecutive seasons finishing among the top three teams in the WAC.
“It’s a great time for us to bond as a group,” sophomore Liz Gleeson said. “We’ll be together over the next couple of years, and it’s important that we start off close.”
Magness, men prepare for season opener
The men also took WAC gold in 2001 but have finished sixth and fourth the last two seasons, respectively.
The men’s team has also seen its roster grow, adding four freshmen while losing none of its top five runners from 2003. The incoming class will join an experienced squad that includes senior Adam Davis, juniors Marcel Hewamudalige and David Axel and sophomore Pablo Solares, who were 18th, 15th, 23rd and 22nd, respectively, at the WAC meet a year ago.
Most integral to the Owls’ chances to regain the conference title they owned in 1999 and 2001, though, is sophomore Steve Magness, whose fifth-place finish was best among Rice runners at the conference championships. Magness garnered first team all-WAC and freshman of the year honors for his efforts.
“Not only are our top runners returning this season, but our freshmen are proving to be a much needed valuable addition to the team,” men’s head coach Jon Warren (Jones ‘88) said.
Like the women, though, the men have set goals higher than the WAC title.
“Our main objective is winning conference,” Solares said. “It’s only two months away, and we are trying to put everything we have into it, [but] we want to take it all the way to nationals.”
The men’s team last qualified for the national championship meet in 1999, when it finished last among 31 teams.
The competitive season will begin with the Rice Cross Country Opener Wednesday at MacGregor Park.
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