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Show A Year of Change r f - r 4 By sweating mile after mile in the blistering afternoon heat, the Weber State men's cross country team rewarded their sore muscles by winning several big meets this past season. With a top performance by Kris Cary in the Big Sky Conference, the team completed its season with a second place finish. "Expectations were high for this season because I knew our team was in the top three in the conference," said WSC coach Chic Hislop. Ending up in second place pleased the team as well as the coach. "Each runner contributed to the win because they gave it their all," Hislop said. Throughout the season, the team prepared for the Big Sky by performing in many local meets. With constant effort, the team captured the title of their own Wildcat Invitational, and they placed second in the Brigham Young University Invitational. In another local competition, the men's cross country team breezed past 10 teams to take fifth place out of 15 teams in the University of Colorado Invitational. The team also managed to stay on top of in-state rivals University of Utah and Utah State as they beat both teams throughout the season. Because of the preparation the team received from the local meets, Kris Cary placed in the top three in the conference. His outstanding performance qualified him for the national championship. "Cary's efforts paid off. He ran intelligently and ended with an impressive finish, said Hislop. During the season, Kris Cary was the team's top runner with Kurt Black challenging him as a close second. Although these two were the top runners, this season's success revolved around a team effort. Each member's contribution to the team was the reason the Wildcats were favored to win the Big Sky. Greg Hyde, Dave Andreason, Darren Williams, Tracy Fifield and Bryan Defreeze were the other members of the team whose performances proved to be the difference. The team ended up with a fourth place finish in District 7 of the NCAA. "The team was better prepared for District 7 this year, and next year we will be a step above this year," said Hislop. Greg Hyde is the only runner not returning to the team next season due to graduation. This makes Coach Hislop feel confident about a strong team next year. "With so many returnees, I expect next year's team to be better prepared and even tougher than this year's," said Hislop. Cross Country The cross country teams had a successful season running to fourth-place finishes in their respective leagues. The Green sisters, Mari (left) and Michelle, earned all-conference honors. Tracy Fifield helped pace the men's cross country team to a second-place finish in the Big Sky Conference. .! ' '-" ' W ' " ' . . ; m , , r ; . ... . . f . - ' . - - - , v - -n ' : jm" r , 'v - "-" j . i ' X'X ' i - t 4 - i V - wv--T )J ' , Hj, I ' vj '. & ' ' ' t f 1 , x i y . i t i I j r'M f -r'. I ; ; i . "Jf i: j i ; ' 4 - I i 1 r i . J . , ' I i t ' 3 ' V J - - ; : ...r. ' .'A-A. v " t - f l "f . kj . - .! Katy Frandsen tl it ifTt? -lit C. i i-1 r 1 The rhythmic beat of pounding feet across the hot pavement signaled the beginning of the Weber State women's 1986 cross country season. Led by junior distance runner Michelle Green, with Mari Green and Dana Willie pressing behind, the team welcomed three top finishes at the MWAC conference championship. WSC coach Jim Blaisdell was pleased with this event. "This had to be the highlight of the season. Never before has our team made all-conference or top 10." The team ended up placing fourth in the MWAC conference championship. "I was a little disappointed with our fourth-place finish because our top three runners had performed so well. Overall, I am really proud of our season," said Blaisdell. With their efforts, the top three runners each earned all-conference honors. Michelle Green took third place, Mari Green took sixth, and Willie took eighth. "Having three of my runners end up in the top 10 positions was an accomplishment that we are all proud of,' said Blaisdell. ' W ' l. L H J IIUI LV 111V I ' 1 .11 1 . VVI11VI V.I1VV 5 championship, the Weber women breezed through and captured the title of the Idaho State Invitational. With a solid one-two punch of sisters Michelle and Mari Green finishing first and second respectively, the team proved their superiority without a doubt. The Green sisters had help in proving the Lady Cats' superiority with Willie placing fourth; Melinda Smith, 11th; and Kelly Davis, 12th. Two weeks after the conference meet, the team competed in the District 7 meet in Salt Lake City. During the meet, Michelle Green finished 12th out of 113 runners while Willie finished 18th. The team's efforts gave them an eighth place finish out of 17 teams. For the year, Michelle Green was secure in her position as the team's number one runner. Mari Green battled for second place with Willie just a second behind. Leaving the team as a graduating senior is Melinda Smith. Other team members included Brandy Peterson and Shauna Steele. The efforts by these runners made the women's cross country team complete. With most of the team returning next seson, the cross country team can anticipate continued success. B Katy Frandsen 6D SignOff Tuesday, June 2, 1987 |