Yellowjacket Cross-Country Teams off to
California for Regionals (Nov. 4,
2003)
BILLINGS, MT – The MSU Billings
men’s and women’s cross-country teams will leave
Thursday for their final meet of the year, the NCAA
West Regional in Pomona, CA on Saturday, November
8. The top three teams at the regional as well as
the top two individual placers not on one of those
teams will advance to the NCAA finals in Raleigh, NC
on November 22.
The Yellowjacket women’s team
has been led for most of the season by Chelsea
Lynnes (Jr., Miles City, MT). She was the team’s
top finisher in every race until last week’s
Yellowjacket Invitational, where she finished
ninth. Lynnes hurt her foot earlier in the week
leading up to the race. X-rays last week ruled out
a possible stress fracture and she is expected to be
able to compete this week.
“Our teams are running as well
as they have all season and are peaking at just
about the right time,” said Yellowjacket coach Dave
Coppock. “Our biggest concern is on the women’s
side with the injury status of our top runner,
Chelsea Lynnes. We’re tapering off this week so she
has a good chance to heal up.”
Lynnes’s fastest 5K time this
season was 19:28 at the MSU-Bozeman Invitational.
Joining her at the top of the Lady Jackets’ roster
will be Anjel Hoff (Sr., Billings, MT) who won the
Yellowjacket Invitational two weeks ago in 19:21,
her fastest time of the year. Tiffany Piplica (Fr.,
Riverton, WY) and Tracie Overberg (So., Dodson, MT)
have also been improving their times with each
posting a season-best two weeks ago at Riverfront
Park.
The men’s has been led in
recent weeks by Scott Brown (So., Billings, MT), who
placed third in the Yellowjacket Invitational 8K in
27:50, his fastest time of the year by over a
minute. Sam Hartpence (So., Custer, SD), Joe Kragt
(Fr., Billings, MT) and Ryan Archibald (Jr.,
Missoula, MT) have all finished in 29 minutes this
season, including Hartpence’s 28:35 two weeks ago.
“The big concern going into the
week was the Los Angeles area wildfires and the air
quality for the race,” said Coppock. “But it sounds
like cooler weather has moved in and the fires are
under control. That aside, the teams from the CCAA
and GNAC looked really good at their conference
meets and will be very tough. We’re hoping to make
a good showing against other PacWest schools and
hopefully end up in the top half of the region.”
Men’s West Region Rankings: 1.
Cal State-Chico; 2. Cal Poly Pomona; 3. UC-San
Diego; 4. Western Washington; 5. Hawaii Pacific; 6.
Alaska-Anchorage; 7. Western Oregon; 8. Humboldt
State; 9. St. Martin’s; 10. Northwest Nazarene.
Women’s West Region Rankings:
1. Cal State-Chico; 2. UC-San Diego; 3. Seattle
Pacific; 4. Cal State-Stanislaus; 5.
Alaska-Anchorage; 6. Central Washington; 7. Western
Washington; 8. Alaska-Fairbanks; 9. Hawaii Pacific;
10. Western Oregon.
Click HERE to view photos of Yellowjacket
Cross Country runners |
