DENTON, Texas For the second consecutive year, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock swept the Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championship team titles. By placing all five runners in the top seven positions, the Trojan mens squad ran past the field with a total of 21 points, while the Trojan womens team finished with all five runners in the top 10, grabbing 29 team points.
For the men, Western Kentucky (80) and Middle Tennessee (89) followed the Trojans in the team standings. Florida International (115) narrowly edged out host North Texas (118) for fourth place, while New Mexico State (130) and Louisiana-Lafayette (157) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Denver (222), Arkansas State (240), South Alabama (285) and New Orleans (298) rounded out the field.
UALRs Brent Corbitt, the meets Most Outstanding Male Performer, took home the individual title with a time of 25:43 over the 8,000-meter course. Middle Tennessees Geoffrey Lagat, who won the last two individual titles at the conference championships, finished second with a time of 26:22. Eric Gross of Arkansas-Little Rock rounded out the top three runners with a time of 26:33.
The Arkansas-Little Rock women were followed by Western Kentucky (47), New Mexico State (79), New Orleans (129) and Denver (137). Louisiana-Lafayette ended the meet in sixth with 141 points, while host North Texas (204), Arkansas State (210), Florida International (211), South Alabama (268) and Middle Tennessee (285) completed the team scoring.
Leah Thorvilson from Arkansas-Little Rock won the womens individual title by covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:10, taking home the meets Most Outstanding Female Performer honors in the process. Thorvilson finished second behind Debbie Thornhill of North Texas in last seasons race. New Mexico States Rachel Cuellar finished in second place (22:24), while Western Kentuckys Olga Cronin finished third (23:09).
The top 10 finishers from each race were selected as members of the 2002 All-Sun Belt Team. Corbitt, Lagat and Gross were accompanied on the mens team by UALRs John Eckard and Andrey and Dmitry Shokur, Walter Whitfield of Louisiana-Lafayette, Western Kentuckys Daniel Roberts and Enda Grandfield and Middle Tennessees Levi Sybert.
The womens team consists of Thorvilson, Cuellar, Cronin, Arkansas-Little Rocks Shasta Beal, Lisolette Noren and Therese and Petra Forsberg, Western Kentuckys Bonita Paul and Cara Nichols and Laci Jackson from New Mexico State.
Trojan head coach Kirk Elias swept Coach of the Year honors for the second time in a row.
2002 Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Results
Men
Team
1. Arkansas-Little Rock, 21
2. Western Kentucky, 80
3. Middle Tennessee, 89
4. Florida International, 115
5. North Texas, 118
6. New Mexico State, 130
7. Louisiana-Lafayette, 157
8. Denver, 222
9. Arkansas State, 240
10. South Alabama, 285
11. New Orleans, 298
Individual (8K)
1. Brent Corbitt, Arkansas-Little Rock, 25:43
2. Geoffrey Lagat, Middle Tennessee, 26:22
3. Eric Gross, Arkansas-Little Rock, 26:33
4. Andrey Shokur, Arkansas-Little Rock, 26:43
5. Walter Whitfield, Louisiana-Lafayette, 26:49
6. Dmitry Shokur, Arkansas-Little Rock, 26:59
7. John Eckart, Arkansas-Little Rock, 27:00
8. Daniel Roberts, Western Kentucky, 27:07
9. Enda Grandfield, Western Kentucky, 27:12
10. Levi Sybert, Middle Tennessee, 27:13
Most Outstanding Performer Brent Corbitt, Arkansas-Little Rock
Coach of the Year Kirk Elias, Arkansas-Little Rock
Women
Team
1. Arkansas-Little Rock, 29
2. Western Kentucky, 47
3. New Mexico State, 79
4. New Orleans, 129
5. Denver, 137
6. Louisiana-Lafayette, 141
7. North Texas, 204
8. Arkansas State, 210
9. Florida International, 211
10. South Alabama, 268
11. Middle Tennessee, 285
Individual (6K)
1. Leah Thorvilson, Arkansas-Little Rock, 22:10
2. Rachel Cuellar, New Mexico State, 22:24
3. Olga Cronin, Western Kentucky, 23:09
4. Therese Forsberg, Arkansas-Little Rock, 23:18
5. Bonita Paul, Western Kentucky, 23:20
6. Shasta Beal, Arkansas-Little Rock, 23:21
7. Cara Nichols, Western Kentucky, 23:33
8. Lisolette Noren, Arkansas-Little Rock, 23:40
9. Laci Jackson, New Mexico State, 23:52
10. Petra Forsberg, Arkansas-Little Rock, 23:56
Most Outstanding Performer Leah Thorvilson, Arkansas-Little Rock
Coach of the Year Kirk Elias, Arkansas-Little Rock
---- Sun Belt ----
2002 Cross Country Championships - Full Results
Delta Timing Group 2002 Sun Belt Conference - 11/4/2002 Cross Country Championship Denton, Texas Event 1 Men 8k Run CC Team Scores ================================================================================= Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9 ================================================================================= 1 UALR 21 1 3 4 6 7 11 23 Total Time: 2:13:01.28 Average: 26:36.26 2 WKU 80 8 9 16 21 26 29 47 Total Time: 2:18:55.19 Average: 27:47.04 3 MT 89 2 10 19 20 38 62 Total Time: 2:18:54.01 Average: 27:46.81 4 FIU 115 14 15 18 24 44 52 Total Time: 2:21:41.77 Average: 28:20.36 5 NT 118 13 17 22 31 35 42 Total Time: 2:21:43.65 Average: 28:20.73 6 NMSU 130 12 25 27 32 34 40 46 Total Time: 2:22:06.08 Average: 28:25.22 7 UL 157 5 28 30 41 53 56 Total Time: 2:24:25.63 Average: 28:53.13 8 DENVER 222 33 37 43 54 55 59 Total Time: 2:29:55.61 Average: 29:59.12 9 ASU 240 36 39 50 57 58 60 66 Total Time: 2:31:47.41 Average: 30:21.49 10 USA 285 45 51 61 63 65 67 70 Total Time: 2:37:03.37 Average: 31:24.68 11 UNO 298 48 49 64 68 69 71 Total Time: 2:44:18.17 Average: 32:51.64
Delta Timing Group 2002 Sun Belt Conference - 11/4/2002 Cross Country Championship Denton, Texas Event 1 Men 8k Run CC ======================================================================= Name Year School Finals Points ======================================================================= 1 Brent Corbitt UALR 25:43.26 1 2 Geoffrey Lagat MT 26:22.63 2 3 Eric Gross UALR 26:33.77 3 4 Andrey Shokur UALR 26:43.57 4 5 Walter Whitfield UL 26:49.89 5 6 Dmitry Shokur UALR 26:59.90 6 7 John Eckart UALR 27:00.78 7 8 Daniel Roberts WKU 27:07.69 8 9 Enda Grandfield WKU 27:12.93 9 10 Levi Sybert MT 27:13.34 10 11 Matt Hill UALR 27:17.42 11 12 Louis Cuellar NMSU 27:24.63 12 13 Matt Gieringer NT 27:37.78 13 14 Jorge Palmerola FIU 27:40.91 14 15 Mike Felsberg FIU 27:54.31 15 16 Jean Pierre Joubert WKU 27:57.14 16 17 Justin Kauffman NT 27:57.75 17 18 Elliott Mason FIU 27:57.85 18 19 Anthony McGary MT 28:00.86 19 20 Edwin Koech MT 28:05.05 20 21 Kevin Dick WKU 28:07.01 21 22 Mario Arroyave NT 28:14.86 22 23 John Jennings UALR 28:18.24 23 24 Robbie Infante FIU 28:19.89 24 25 Cody Robertson NMSU 28:24.68 25 26 Gregory Threat WKU 28:30.42 26 27 Santos Contreras NMSU 28:31.79 27 28 Justin Lemaire UL 28:35.71 28 29 Anthony Cambron WKU 28:40.33 29 30 Quentin Guy UL 28:47.03 30 31 Brad Thompson NT 28:48.27 31 32 Stephan Arnold NMSU 28:51.61 32 33 Hans Leithe DENVER 28:53.35 33 34 Marc Bourdon NMSU 28:53.37 34 35 Jason Bacchus NT 29:04.98 35 36 Philbert Amuzu ASU 29:06.78 36 37 Amund Hanson DENVER 29:08.31 37 38 Josh Carroll MT 29:12.13 38 39 Anderson Kirui ASU 29:13.55 39 40 Karl Meier NMSU 29:14.85 40 41 Nick Meaux UL 29:17.32 41 42 Matt Teeter NT 29:28.62 42 43 Dylan Prosser DENVER 29:41.23 43 44 Joe Huston FIU 29:48.80 44 45 Samson Kipchichir USA 29:51.78 45 46 Scott Payne NMSU 30:01.23 46 47 Thomas Howell WKU 30:06.40 47 48 Jameel Wilson UNO 30:09.63 48 49 Omar Smith UNO 30:12.30 49 50 Tony Chambers ASU 30:25.43 50 51 Jeremiah Carter USA 30:30.30 51 52 Joe Mazzeo FIU 30:31.93 52 53 Matthew Martin UL 30:55.68 53 54 Henry Kashiwa DENVER 30:56.06 54 55 Justin Rose DENVER 31:16.65 55 56 Chris Meaux UL 31:29.10 56 57 Zack Plair ASU 31:30.36 57 58 Steve Helmick ASU 31:31.29 58 59 Martin Bartnes DENVER 31:59.04 59 60 Edward Kirui ASU 31:59.10 60 61 Cam Snow USA 32:01.66 61 62 Sean Rabe MT 32:08.12 62 63 Laronious Reddick USA 32:12.64 63 64 Kwesi Cudjoe-Chow UNO 32:23.92 64 65 Brandon McLeod USA 32:26.99 65 66 Keith Heinrich ASU 33:05.42 66 67 Chad Garrett USA 33:37.34 67 68 Terrance Wills UNO 35:33.97 68 69 Spenser Robinson UNO 35:58.35 69 70 Casey Dunn USA 36:05.17 70 71 Brian Oldenstam UNO 47:13.82 71 -- Tim Darmstedter NT DNF -- Gabriel Conway WKU DNF -- Robert Munoz NMSU DNF -- Steve Safstrom MT DNF -- Peter Marston UALR DNF -- Istvan Meszaros UALR DNF -- August Teague DENVER DNF -- Calum Neff UALR DNF -- Adrian Garcia UL DNF -- John Mack UNO DNF -- David Altmaier WKU DNF -- Justin Groves WKU DNF -- Nicholas Bacon WKU DNF -- Terry Goertz WKU DNF -- Christopher Young WKU DNF -- Joseph Van Zee WKU DNF -- Caleb McCain WKU DNF -- Augustine Otieno WKU DNF -- Justin Miller WKU DNF -- Eric Brock UALR DNF -- Bradley Meredith WKU DNF -- Eddie Melendez NT DNF -- Benjamin McClure WKU DNF -- Wensher Maurice WKU DNF Delta Timing Group 2002 Sun Belt Conference - 11/4/2002 Cross Country Championship Denton, Texas Event 2 Women 6k Run CC Team Scores ================================================================================= Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9 ================================================================================= 1 UALR 29 1 4 6 8 10 11 23 Total Time: 1:56:27.15 Average: 23:17.43 2 WKU 47 3 5 7 13 19 27 40 Total Time: 1:59:10.66 Average: 23:50.14 3 NMSU 79 2 9 17 20 31 52 Total Time: 2:01:29.18 Average: 24:17.84 4 UNO 129 12 16 22 33 46 57 61 Total Time: 2:06:45.83 Average: 25:21.17 5 DENVER 137 18 26 28 29 36 42 Total Time: 2:07:26.60 Average: 25:29.32 6 UL 141 14 15 35 38 39 48 50 Total Time: 2:07:41.19 Average: 25:32.24 7 NT 204 21 32 45 51 55 Total Time: 2:15:27.97 Average: 27:05.60 8 ASU 210 30 37 41 44 58 Total Time: 2:16:02.85 Average: 27:12.57 9 FIU 211 25 34 43 53 56 62 Total Time: 2:16:49.15 Average: 27:21.83 10 USA 268 24 47 64 66 67 Total Time: 2:35:22.00 Average: 31:04.40 11 MT 285 49 54 59 60 63 65 Total Time: 2:30:59.76 Average: 30:11.96
2002 Sun Belt Conference - 11/4/2002 Cross Country Championship Denton, Texas Event 2 Women 6k Run CC ======================================================================= Name Year School Finals Points ======================================================================= 1 Leah Thorvilson UALR 22:10.57 1 2 Rachael Cuellar NMSU 22:24.44 2 3 Olga Cronin WKU 23:09.19 3 4 Therese Forsberg UALR 23:18.24 4 5 Bonita Paul WKU 23:20.20 5 6 Shasta Beal UALR 23:21.60 6 7 Cara Nichols WKU 23:33.54 7 8 Liselotte Noren UALR 23:40.56 8 9 Laci Jackson NMSU 23:52.65 9 10 Petra Forsberg UALR 23:56.18 10 11 Chelsie Mock UALR 23:59.65 11 12 Sarah Meza UNO 24:07.10 12 13 Aimee Wellerding WKU 24:13.41 13 14 Jeanne Menard UL 24:14.03 14 15 Natalie Gillis UL 24:21.40 15 16 Pavlina Vondrkova UNO 24:27.31 16 17 Jamie Denoewer NMSU 24:30.17 17 18 Tara Hamilton DENVER 24:43.44 18 19 Rachel Sanford WKU 24:54.32 19 20 Trine Sierslev NMSU 25:05.30 20 21 Dagmar Salazar NT 25:08.46 21 22 Orion Wilson UNO 25:11.19 22 23 Aleah Howington UALR 25:13.87 23 24 Bibiche Mankatu USA 25:18.10 24 25 Dalia Clarke FIU 25:19.61 25 26 Karin Camenisch DENVER 25:28.34 26 27 Amber Carmack WKU 25:28.61 27 28 Joslin Heyward DENVER 25:28.78 28 29 Dru Weaver DENVER 25:29.71 29 30 Liz Davenport ASU 25:32.31 30 31 Ann Gagliardi NMSU 25:36.62 31 32 Kristin Carson NT 25:37.38 32 33 Naudia Falconer UNO 25:46.20 33 34 Edda Santiago FIU 26:07.83 34 35 Jennifer Gautreaux UL 26:14.34 35 36 Julie Raffety DENVER 26:16.33 36 37 Stephanie Anaya ASU 26:20.80 37 38 Jennifer Block UL 26:23.23 38 39 Stacey Enright UL 26:28.19 39 40 Janette Pike WKU 26:34.83 40 41 Hayley Hames ASU 26:46.93 41 42 Elizabeth Voss DENVER 26:50.76 42 43 Jamilla Vargas FIU 26:57.11 43 44 Darina Semenova ASU 27:06.56 44 45 Theresa Meyers NT 27:07.77 45 46 Stephanie Jones UNO 27:14.03 46 47 Dado Kamissoko USA 27:19.38 47 48 Leah Legere UL 27:22.77 48 49 Trisha Devalcourt MT 27:42.25 49 50 Dusty Martin UL 27:47.18 50 51 Kelly Faszholz NT 28:07.56 51 52 Cindy Sedillo NMSU 28:15.89 52 53 Mary Formosa FIU 28:46.07 53 54 Erin Russell MT 29:07.00 54 55 Sheena Connell NT 29:26.80 55 56 Dawn Selvidge FIU 29:38.53 56 57 Sonia De La Torre UNO 29:46.28 57 58 Joanne Huck ASU 30:16.25 58 59 Fran Haas MT 30:24.64 59 60 Chelsea Taylor MT 30:57.73 60 61 Rosa White UNO 31:45.75 61 62 Jamella Mallick FIU 31:52.72 62 63 Rosemary Okafor MT 32:48.14 63 64 Brandy Merritt USA 33:03.37 64 65 Laura Smith MT 33:49.47 65 66 Karen Maynard USA 34:49.26 66 67 Amy Galimore USA 34:51.89 67 -- Laura Credeur UL DNF -- Kishara George MT DNF -- Catherine Boudreaux UL DNF -- Jennifer Verheul UNO DNF -- Sunnie Butcher UALR DNF -- Genea Long NMSU DNF -- Taneshia Johnson ASU DNF -- Laura Leigh MT DNF -- Mary Woodrum WKU DNF -- Dawn Crawford UALR DNF -- Rebecca Rodriguez FIU DNF -- Rebecca Sanford WKU DNF -- Shaveattea Milton USA DNF -- Rata Ouadraogo USA DNF -- Susan Beraun WKU DNF -- Courtney Starling NT DNF -- Nina Karvonen DENVER DNS -- Ashley Hogg ASU DNS