LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? Four Kentucky runners placed in the race?s top 20 Saturday to highlight a strong performance by the Wildcat cross country teams against a tough field at the Greater Louisville Classic held at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, home of the 2006 NCAA Southeast Regional.
The women?s squad, which had its top four runners finish within 23 seconds of one another, finished in fifth place as a team in the 5K race with a score of 163, while the men concluded the 8K race in sixth place with a 265. The Wildcats fared well against difficult competition that included 10 Division I men’s teams ranked among the top 10 in their regions and five regionally ranked women’s Division I teams.
?Overall, this was a good day for Kentucky,? said Pat Tyson, assistant coach for distance and cross country. ?This was an important part of the journey for us this season as we prepare to travel to Cal Poly in two weeks. I am pleased that we are continuing to see a lot of heart and excitement out of our runners. We are happy with where we are, but there are still some things we?d like to work on to continue to improve.?
Sophomore Andrea Halasek led the way for the women?s squad, finishing in 18th place with a time of 18:25. Junior Liliane Sparkes finished directly behind Halasek in 19th place with a time of 18:27 and sophomore Taylor Miller finished 28th with an 18:38. Senior Emily King finished in 39th place with an 18:48, while classmate Georganne Way was 69th with a time of 19:11. Other finishers on the women?s side for UK included junior Lavera Morris who was 72nd with a time of 19:14, freshman Claire Laverty in 135th place with a 19:53 and fellow rookie Lindsay Petri in 138th with a time of 19:55.
?It is interesting to see the way our women?s team is evolving,? Tyson said. ?Andrea was our No. 1 runner this race, and in three races this season we have had three different leaders. There is nice balance on the women?s team, and it is exciting to see that they are truly connected as a team. We only have eight healthy women, but they are working hard. Emily King has been very consistent all season long and it was good to see that focused look in her eyes today. Also, Liliane has been constantly in the mix for us this season and she did well today.?
The one-two punch of junior Andre Silva and senior John Richardson led the way for the Kentucky men. Silva finished in 18th place with a time of 24:57, while Richardson followed in 19th place with a 24:59. Transfer John Thompson finished in 49th place with a 25:31 and sophomore Bruce Hordusky was 96th with a time of 26:11. Other finishers for the men included junior Stephan Smith (121st, 26:26), Chris Long (124th, 26:27) and Ryan Finn (173rd, 26:55).
?Andre and John did a good job up front for us today,? Tyson said. ?After them, we have group of guys who are really overachievers dedicated to doing everything they can to bring UK to the highest level possible. They are showing a lot of heart and running without fear. They always give their best and are collectively looking to improve every day. Ryan Finn is very talented and will be a major player for us this season as he gets healthier.?
Kentucky returns to action Saturday, Oct. 14, when it travels to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to close the 2006 regular season at the Cal Poly Invitational. Complete results and a recap of that meet will be available at ukathletics.com.
