Cross Country teams make presence felt in lakefront invitational
John-Paul Paonessa
Issue date: 10/9/06 Section: Sports
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On Saturday, Sept. 30, both of UIC's Cross Country teams took part in the 34th Annual Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational. This 10-race event included over 4,000 runners from universities and high schools across the nation.
The meet, sponsored by Loyola University, kicked off early at Montrose Beach and featured quality running programs including regional powerhouses Marquette, Southern Illinois, Marshall, Illinois State, Alabama, Creighton and many more. Besides UIC and Loyola University, the Horizon League was represented by UW-Milwaukee.
On the women's team, senior Laura Macias took fifth place individually, following a record-breaking finish by freshman Gabriel Ngwiri for the Flames.
UIC's men's team entered the invite as No. 11 in the United States Cross Country Coaches Association Midwest Region, marking the highest ranking in school history.
The course, beautifully outlined by the Montrose Beach Lakeshore, was without a doubt challenging for runners. A steep hill, visibly showing the southern Chicago skyline, proved a test for each runner. On the clear morning, numerous competitors struggled to make it up to the top. The women battled the incline three times; the men's teams fought it out five times.
Ngwiri's third place helped boost the men's team to an impressive fourth place closeout. The 24:38 finish broke the team's prior record of 24:58, set last October by junior Joseph Mbari. The Kenyan-born runner beat his personal best by 1:24 in only his second collegiate race.
Mbari added points to UIC's cumulative score with an 18th place finish. UIC's third best runner of the day, senior Sam Watson, took 33rd overall. Alex Sutphen, Nic Aubert, Jim Sulzberger and Jorge Flores rounded out UIC's top seven finishers.
As a team, the Flames finished just one point shy of third; but the fourth place finish out of 18 teams proved superior over the hosting Loyola Ramblers, who took fifth.
Following the men's 8K, Macias, who debuted for UIC in last year's Sean Earl Invitational, led the Flames with a hard-fought fifth place overall individual finish in the women's 5K race. Her seventh straight team best proved to be more than an ongoing spectacle. She tied her personal best of 18:04, UIC's fourth best mark in team history.
Significant individual finishes also came from senior Lisa Petty, UIC's second best finisher with a time of 19:30, as well as senior Susana Martinez's 19:46 completion of the course. The Flames' top seven finishers rounded out with Korinne Krych, Danyelle Somerfield, Mary Kate Carrick and Dena Zak. The UIC women ended the day with a twelfth place finish out of 19 teams.
Both squads will be back in action on Oct. 13, when the Flames travel to Peoria, IL for the Bradley Invitational.
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The meet, sponsored by Loyola University, kicked off early at Montrose Beach and featured quality running programs including regional powerhouses Marquette, Southern Illinois, Marshall, Illinois State, Alabama, Creighton and many more. Besides UIC and Loyola University, the Horizon League was represented by UW-Milwaukee.
On the women's team, senior Laura Macias took fifth place individually, following a record-breaking finish by freshman Gabriel Ngwiri for the Flames.
UIC's men's team entered the invite as No. 11 in the United States Cross Country Coaches Association Midwest Region, marking the highest ranking in school history.
The course, beautifully outlined by the Montrose Beach Lakeshore, was without a doubt challenging for runners. A steep hill, visibly showing the southern Chicago skyline, proved a test for each runner. On the clear morning, numerous competitors struggled to make it up to the top. The women battled the incline three times; the men's teams fought it out five times.
Ngwiri's third place helped boost the men's team to an impressive fourth place closeout. The 24:38 finish broke the team's prior record of 24:58, set last October by junior Joseph Mbari. The Kenyan-born runner beat his personal best by 1:24 in only his second collegiate race.
Mbari added points to UIC's cumulative score with an 18th place finish. UIC's third best runner of the day, senior Sam Watson, took 33rd overall. Alex Sutphen, Nic Aubert, Jim Sulzberger and Jorge Flores rounded out UIC's top seven finishers.
As a team, the Flames finished just one point shy of third; but the fourth place finish out of 18 teams proved superior over the hosting Loyola Ramblers, who took fifth.
Following the men's 8K, Macias, who debuted for UIC in last year's Sean Earl Invitational, led the Flames with a hard-fought fifth place overall individual finish in the women's 5K race. Her seventh straight team best proved to be more than an ongoing spectacle. She tied her personal best of 18:04, UIC's fourth best mark in team history.
Significant individual finishes also came from senior Lisa Petty, UIC's second best finisher with a time of 19:30, as well as senior Susana Martinez's 19:46 completion of the course. The Flames' top seven finishers rounded out with Korinne Krych, Danyelle Somerfield, Mary Kate Carrick and Dena Zak. The UIC women ended the day with a twelfth place finish out of 19 teams.
Both squads will be back in action on Oct. 13, when the Flames travel to Peoria, IL for the Bradley Invitational.
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