Fresno State Athletics
NCAA West Regional Up next for the 'Dogs
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
By: Dayna Hill
daynah@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State men's and women's cross country teams travel to the NCAA West Regional on Friday, November 14 in Palo Alto, Calif.
NCAA WEST REGIONAL
Date: Friday, November 14, 2014
Time: 11 a.m. - Women's 6K 12 p.m. - Men's 10K
Location: Stanford Golf Course, Palo Alto, Calf.
Host: Stanford University (www.GoStanford.com)
Entries: College teams from the West Region
Course Description: The course is filled with rolling hills and more than 300 oak trees. Most people describe the course as both challenging and picturesque.
Results: Available afterwards at www.gobulldogs.com and www.directathletics.com
Tentative Bulldog Entries:
Men: Uriel Cabanas, Nathan Esparza, Cooper Gill, Joel Gonzalez, Chriss Grimble, Matt Kwiatkowski and Efren Reyes.
Women:
Julianne Jacques, Mackenzie Landa, Carina Mendoza and Annemarie Schwanz.
WEST REGIONAL UP NEXT
The `Dogs are back on the road this weekend at the NCAA West Regional, that will take place on Friday, October 14. At this meet the `Dogs will be challenged by many of the nation's top runners. The NCAA West Regional cross country meet at Stanford Golf Course on Friday presents some choices for the top teams, and an incentive for others on the NCAA bubble. In all, 38 schools will race in the 13th NCAA regional held at Stanford University. The top two teams in each of the men's and women's races, as well as the top four individuals not on those teams (as long as they place in the top 25) will earn passage to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind.
This meet is among nine regionals across the country that will automatically qualify 18 teams and 36 individuals for each gender. In addition, 13 teams and two individuals will be selected at-large by an NCAA subcommittee on Saturday.
This creates some intrigue for regional coaches. Because the regional and national meets are only eight days apart and the men's race distance is now increased from 8-kilometers (4.97 miles) to 10K (6.2 miles), there may be some strategy involved in who should run and not run, to best prepare for Nov. 22.
SIZING UP THE FIELD
The `Dogs will be competing against five nationally ranked teams on the men's side and six nationally ranked teams on the men's side.
USTFCCCA Men's Rankings:
Nationally Ranked teams in the West Region:
2. Oregon
8. Portland
9. Stanford
11. Washington
17. UCLA
West Region Top 15 Rankings:
1. Oregon
2. Portland
3. Stanford
4. Washington
5. UCLA
6. Boise State
7. Arizona State
8. Gonzaga
9. UC Santa Barbara
10. California
11. Arizona
12. Washington State
13. Cal Poly
14. University of San Francisco
15. Santa Clara
USTFCCCA Women's Rankings:
Nationally Ranked teams in the West Region:
3..Oregon
10. Stanford
15. Washington
24. Arizona State
25. Boise State
27. UCLA
West Region Top 15 Rankings:
1. Oregon
2. Stanford
3. Washington
4. Arizona State
5 . Boise State
6. UCLA
7. UC Davis
8. Portland
9. Loyola Marymount
10. Cal Poly
11. UC Santa Barbara
12. California
13. Arizona
14. University of San Francisco
15. UC Riverside
HEAD COACH MCMANUS COMMENTS
"We are ready to compete at the West Regional on Friday," said head coach Sean McManus. "We are going to take a limited number of athletes on the women's side due to health issues. A number of people have been battling the flu since we went to Pre-Nationals and we toughed it out for the Conference meet, but they're still not back to full health. Two seniors will be competing on Friday on women's side and I am really hoping that both Carina Mendoza and Julianne Jacques are able to finish their cross country careers on high notes.
The men will have a full team competing and they have been training really well. We are going to go into their race with a pack mentality. The goal is to go out there and run our race. We plan to run in a group to ensure that we finish in the top 15, instead of letting everyone run their own race, which could push us to finishing in the top 25. We have a really young group. So if I can take my group of freshmen and sophomores and have them finish in the top 15, then the next year I can work to advance them over the next three years. "
HOSTING THE MW CHAMPIONSHIP
The `Dogs hosted the Mountain West Championships at Woodward Park on October 31. The Bulldog men's team scored a total of 181 points, led by sophomore Matt Kwiatkowski who placed 31st in the 8K race (24:41) to give the `Dogs 30 points.
The Fresno State women scored a total of 225 points with their top finisher, junior Annemarie Schwanz, finishing 28th overall (6K 21:34) to earn the Bulldogs 27 points. On the women's side, New Mexico's five scoring runners finished within the top 10 giving New Mexico its seventh-straight title (33 points). Boise State finished second with 58 points, while Wyoming took third with 79 points.
The `Dogs were led once again by Schwanz (28th, 21:34). Freshman Mackenzie Landa followed in 33rd place (21:44), next for the `Dogs was senior Julianne Jacques running 22:10 to capture 42nd. Redshirt-senior Carina Mendoza (22:42, 63rd) and Meagan Paracholski (23:40, 80th) rounded out the `Dogs scoring five. Sophomore Brittany Laygo finished the race in 87th for the `Dogs with a time of 24:29.
In the men's race sophomore Matt Kwiatkowski (31st, 24:41) led the `Dogs and was closely followed by sophomore Nathan Esparza (32nd, 24:42) and senior Chriss Grimble (35th, 24:45). The two final scorers for the `Dogs were freshman Efren Reyes(41st, 24:58) and sophomore Uriel Cabanas (53rd, 25:26). Freshmen Joel Gonzalez (57th, 25:32) and Esteban Vega (62nd, 26:33) were followed by sophomore Cooper Gill (64th, 27:10) rounded out the Bulldog finishers.
MEET COACH MCMANUS
Sean McManus enters his seventh season leading Fresno State's cross country teams and the track and field distance squads. He has coached 63 All-Conference runners during his time here and seven Conference Champions. During his time at Fresno State McManus has coached 19 athletes to the Bulldogs' All-Time List. McManus has taken Bulldog student-athletes to the NCAA Championships in both cross country and track and field. He has also led 15 FSU athletes to the NCAA Regionals.
ONLINE CROSS COUNTRY LINKS Mountain West Cross Country: http://www.themwc.com/ NCAA West Regional Host: www.GoStanford.comNCAA Men's Cross Country: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/cross-country-men/d1 NCAA Women's Cross Country: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/cross-country-women/d1 National / Regional Polls: http://www.ustfccca.org/team-rankings-polls-central/division-i-rankings NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Handbook: http://www.ustfccca.org/assets/handbooks/d1-cc-handbook.pdf IAAF: www.iaaf.org United States Olympic Committee: www.olympic-usa.org USA Track and Field: www.usatf.org Track and Field News: www.trackandfieldnews.com
"Be Bold!"
