Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Notre Dame Invitational
Sellick Fifth at ND Invitational
10/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 2, 2009
Complete Blue Division Results 
Complete Gold Division Results
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State women's and men's cross country teams stepped up to the challenge of the Notre Dame Invitational Friday, as the women finished eighth in the Gold Division and the men took 22nd in the elite competition of the Blue Division.
On a cold and rainy day, the Bulldogs faced one of the most competitive fields in the country in South Bend, Ind.
All seven of Fresno State's racers all completed the 5K in under 21 minutes and the team's five scorers all easily finished under 20 minutes to average just over six minutes a mile.
"The team did a really nice job," said cross country coach Sean McManus. "They competed really hard. Being in it as a team, really gave them the toughness that they needed. They knew that each point counted."
Roxanne Sellick put in a dominating performance for the Bulldogs, finishing fifth among the 162 competitors. Sellick ran a 17:54, her best time since the WAC Championships in 2007.
"It was a good showing for Roxanne," said McManus. "She raced like she wanted to win it. She was happy with the way she ran, but wasn't satisfied because she really wanted the win."
Sellick's 17:54 was just 23 seconds behind the race's top finisher. Although not in the same division as WAC foe Utah State, Sellick's time was more than 30 seconds better than the Aggies' top racer on the same course.
Fresno State's No. 2 finisher, Marissa McPhail found her stride with a solid performance. The senior timed an 18:23 in the race to finish in 18th.
"We set a target placement right around 15th and a finish of about 18:30, which is exactly what she did," said McPhail. "You look at her times compared to Utah State in the other race, she was right there with their top performers. It was a good race for Marissa."
Veronica Paredes and Jennifer Hernandez crossed the finish line together, placing 52nd and 53rd. The two Bulldogs finished within two seconds of each other as Paredes timed a career-best 19:03 and Hernandez marked a season-best 19:05.
Marrijtje Molenhuis filled in the fifth and final scoring spot for Fresno State, placing 107th overall with a time of 19:53. Kelsey Smith was s step back, clocking a 19:57 for 113th. Stevie Brumwell timed a 20:47 to round out the Bulldog competitors.
"The cold, wet weather was hard for us, particularly compared what we're used to in Fresno," said McManus. "But there was no complaining about the conditions and the team really improved on where we were earlier this season. Our Top 4 improved significantly over where we were two weeks ago. We're going to take this momentum with us as we head into the next meets."
The men will also be taking the Notre Dame Invitational with them as they move forward.
Fresno State competed in the blue division, a race that included seven nationally ranked teams, taking 22nd.
"The guys were really looking forward to this race," said McManus. "This is one of the biggest meets with some of the highest caliber competitors in the country. We thought we could be around 10th and 12th place as a team, so the guys were really disappointed in the way they performed."
Erick Garcia led the `Dogs in the 8K, timing a 24:59 for 70th among the 179 competitors.
"Things just weren't clicking for Erick today," said McManus. "You could see his frustration on his face and he'll tell you it wasn't his best race. There were some guys he was looking forward to facing and he didn't challenge them like he had hoped to do.
"But one of the things I have learned from Erick is that when he does have a bad day or bad race, he really bounces back quickly," said McManus. "In his case he just wants to get back out there and prove himself, so he'll use this later in the season."
The team's second finisher, Frank Sanders ran a 25:07, taking 85th.
"Frank had a good race, but he was looking to finish higher" said McManus. "He moved through the pack well and passed guys throughout the race. He just didn't have the start he needed."
Paul Zwama filled in the third spot for the Bulldogs, with Danny Vartanian as the No. 4 finisher for Fresno State. Zwama ran a career-best of 25:17 for 98th as Danny Vartanian also clocked a career-best 25:31 for 111th.
Andrew Campbell rounded out the team's five scorers, running a 26:12 for 147th. Eric Battles, Michael Jamieson and Max Hernandez timed in at 27:01, 26:25 and27:35, respectively.
"None of the guys, except Erick, had run against this caliber of competition before, so I expected the guys to struggle a little," said McManus. "They were disappointed, but this will be an inspiration for the rest of the season. We're going to go back and train hard as a team. This will help us later in the season, particularly for NCAA Regionals when we face this caliber of competition again."
Fresno State travels to the Santa Clara Invitational on Oct. 17 for the final meet before the WAC Championships in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 31.
Women's 5K - 8th/20 (222)
5. Roxanne Sellick, 17:54 (5)
18. Marissa McPhail, 18:23 (18)
52. Veronica Paredes, 19:03 (50)
51. Jennifer Hernandez, 19:05 (51)
107. Marrijtje Molenhuis, 19:52, (98)
113. Kelsey Smith, 19:57 (103)
142. Stevie Brumwell, 20:47 (122)
Men's 8K - 22nd/23 (500)
70. Erick Garcia, 24:59 (70)
85. Frank Sanders, 25:07 (85)
98. Paul Zwama, 25:17 (97)
111. Danny Vartanian, 25:31 (109)
147. Andrew Campbell, 26:12 (139)
160. Michael Jamieson, 26:25 (149)
173. Eric Battles, 27:01 (158)
178. Max Hernandez, 27:35
"We Are Your Team!" For all the up to date information on the Fresno State cross country team log on to gobulldogs.com.
Players Mentioned
