Bulldogs Host WAC Championships This Year
10/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 23, 2006
Fresno, Calif. -
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WAC Championships Coming to Fresno
The 2006 WAC men's and women's cross country championships will be coming to Fresno Oct. 28. The races will be held at Woodward Park, one of the nation's premier cross country venues. In addition to hosting numerous state and regional events, including the annual high school state championship meet, Woodward Park has hosted NCAA championship events, including most recently serving as host site of the 2004 NCAA Western Regional Championship meet.
2006 WAC Cross Country Championship Schedule of Events
Woodward Park, Fresno, Calif. / Oct. 28, 2006
9 a.m. Men's Race (8,000 meters)
10 a.m. Women's Race (5,000 meters)\
Following Race Awards Ceremony
Dogs at Cal Poly Invitational Senior Zinzi Evans continued to lead her Bulldog cross country squad. Evans placed 18th at the Cal Poly Invitational Saturday, guided the Dogs to a sixth-place team finish with 166 points. Oregon State won the team title with 43 points. The Dogs edged the home school, Cal Poly, by 16 points. Six Bulldogs placed in the top 50 of the field of more than 140 runners in the 5K event. In addition to Evans, freshman Jenny Hernandez placed 23rd and fellow freshman Marissa McPhail was 36th. Roxanne Sellick, Patty Torres and Meri Hawkins were all in the top 50. Four Bulldog men's runners ran in the men's 8K race. Frank Sanders led the squad, placing 50th with a time of 28:51. This was the final regular season meet for the Bulldogs, who host the 2006 WAC Championship meet at scenic Woodward Park on Oct. 28. Admission is free.
School's 6K List Boasts Eight Current Bulldogs
The women continue to assault the school's all-time 6,000-meter Top 25 list. While eight current runners are listed on this chart, the Bulldogs continue to improve their times and move up the list as well. Five are ranked in the top 15 and of those five three are underclassmen. Last weekend at the Stanford Invitational, six Top 20 times were set: Evans (No. 4, 22:39), Jennifer Hernandez (No. 8, 22:59), Sellick (No. 10, 23:14), Marissa McPhail (No. 13, 23:30), Patty Torres (No. 15, 23:38) and Marina Santana (No. 20, 24:01). In the season opener at the CS Stanislaus Invitational, Paloma Dominguez (No. 21, 24:10) and Meri Hawkins (No. 23, 24:18) also established Top 25 6K times.
2005 WAC Championship Revisted
Fresno State's women's team raced to a fifth-place finish at the 2005 WAC championship event, led by three Bulldogs in the top 25. Andrea Buckner placed eighth overall in the event. Zinzi Evans and Roxanne Sellick are Fresno State's top two returning runners, placing 21st and 22nd in last year's WAC Championship race. Fresno State did not sponsor men's cross country last season.
McPhail Leads Dogs, Named WAC Athlete of the Week
Freshman Marissa McPhail ran her best race of her young career with a second place finished at the 2006 San Francisco State Invitational. McPhail placed second overall, her best finish as a Bulldog, with a career-best time of 23:07. It was the 10th fastest time in a 6K race in Bulldog history. She bested Zinzi Evans, Fresno State's senior standout, who finished third in the meet. She was selected the WAC Athlete of the Week for her performance.
McCurley Garners WAC Athlete of the Week Honors
Freshman James McCurley (Clovis, Calif.) made his collegiate debut at the CS Stanislaus Invitational and helped the Bulldogs to a third place finish while crossing the line as the top collegiate runner. Finishing second overall, he ran an 8K time of 26:12 and was honored for his efforts by being named Western Athletic Conference Male Runner of the Week (Sept. 4).
Players Mentioned
