Sports: Young teams earn experience

Published: Monday, September 15, 2003

Despite four UNM team leaders red-shirting this season, the men's cross country team managed to snag a fourth-place win and the Lobo women took fifth place at the Lobo Invitational.

The cross country team opened up the first of three running seasons at home this weekend. The Lobo Invitational, now in its fourth year, was Saturday at the UNM North Golf Course.

The course consisted of grassy knolls, packed dirt trails and hundreds of cheering spectators. The 14 men's teams competed over a distance of 8,000 meters while the 13 women's teams duked it out over a slightly shorter course of 6,000 meters.

"It's just a moderate course," head coach Matt Henry said. "But we never run out here. The only advantage we really have is that we're at home."

Men's top runners junior Cameron Clarke and seniors Matt Gonzales, Nick Martinez and Ben Ortega have all opted to sideline off-road competition for the cross country season because of what Henry called personal complications.

"It's hard to explain," Ortega said. "There's not any one reason."

Gonzales, who hopes to compete at the Olympic Trials, said he is taking the time off to boost his strength and avoid injury. Martinez admitted to being "a little burnt out" but will use the time to prepare for nationals later in the season.

All four redshirts hope to be back for the indoor and outdoor track seasons and will continue to practice with the rest of the Lobos.

Henry said that the red-shirting four front-runners will give younger athletes a chance to run.

Coming in first for the men's team was Albuquerque native and senior Sean Flaherty. Flaherty finished 18th overall in the men's 8K with a time of 25:40.

Coming in on Flaherty's heels were freshman Stephen Martinez (33rd), sophomore Brandon Vigil (34th), junior Nate Clem (38th) and freshman Juan Ortega (40th).

"The women's team is really coming together," Henry said.

The women's team placed fifth overall in the 6,000-meter run.

Leading the women's pack was freshman Riann Lucy, who finished 27th out of 103 competitors. Lucy finished with a final time of 23:56 and helped propel the team to top ranks. Coming in after Lucy were sophomore Timmie Murphy (32nd), senior Sarah Gonzales (35th), sophomore Janice Tosa (38th) and freshman Myrriah Gomez (50th).

Absent from the top ranks was junior Jacquelyne Gallegos, who injured her back and pelvis in a 2002 car accident. Gallegos finished 81st overall.

Henry said that Gallegos is fully recovered from the accident and will use the remainder of the season to get back into peak condition. Gallegos finished second in last year's Lobo Invitational.

Other competing collegiate teams were Colorado State, which won both the men's and the women's divisions, Western State College, UTEP, Louisiana State University, Texas Tech, Fort Lewis College, University of Texas-Pan American, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, New Mexico Highlands University, Dine College, El Paso Community College, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Junior College and NMSU.

Also at the Lobo Invitational were 21 local high school teams competing on a 5k course.