Orange Shines at BIG EAST Championship
10/27/2007 3:03:40 PM | Cross Country
BIG EAST Championship - Men's Results
BIG EAST Championship - Women's Results
LOUISVILLE, KY – Junior Nana Sang-Bender powered the Syracuse women to a program-best fourth-place overall finish while junior Jeff Scull led the Orange men to a fifth-place overall finish at the 2007 BIG EAST Championship at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park.
"Nana ran exceptional today by getting fifth place and All-BIG EAST," said third-year Syracuse head coach Chris Fox. "The same can be said for Jeff and Dan [Busby]. Today was a good day for both teams."
Sang-Bender received All-BIG EAST honors for the second straight year after a time of 20:42.10 yielded a team-best fifth-place finish. Sang-Bender becomes the first SU female since Alicia Hauber in 1982 and 1983 to earn all-conference laurels in consecutive BIG EAST Championships.
Freshman Katie Hursey (21:30.85) and senior Liz Cufari (21:32.95) aided the Orange attack with 23rd and 25th-place finishes, respectively. Freshman Rebekah MacKay (21:38.45) finished 29th while sophomore Maegan Krifchin (21:46.75)posted a 37th-place performance. Sophomores Stefanie Slekis (22:02.45) and Lynne Mundy (22:37.50) completed the Syracuse women’s lineup.
No. 19 West Virginia (21:01.61) finished first with No. 22 Providence (21:10.76) and Georgetown (21:08.83) completing the women’s top three performances. Georgetown’s Melissa Grelli earned the individual crown.
Scull led the Orange men with an 11th-place finish and a time of 24:05.25 en route to earning All-BIG EAST recognition. Sophomore Dan Busby garnered all-conference distinction with a 14th-place tally and time of 24:09.70. Scull and Busby become the first All-BIG EAST honorees for the Orange since John Bitok in 2003.
Graduate Jordan Davis (24:27.55) placed 19th while senior Kyle Heath (24:36.40) finished 25th. Sophomore Brad Miller (24:47.45) completed five scores for the Orange in the top 35 with a 34th-place performance. Freshman Steve Murdock (24:57.10) and sophomore Jay Koloseus (25:39.10) finished 42nd and 59th, respectively.
No. 19 Louisville (23:57.12) captured the conference crown with No. 16 Georgetown (24:03.70), No. 23 Providence (24:09.84) and No. 13 Notre Dame (24:17.21) finishing second, third and fourth, respectively. Villanova’s Bobby Curtis tallied the top time in the men’s field.
The Syracuse men and women’s cross country teams continue their quest to qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday, November 10 at the NCAA Regional in Boston, Mass.
