University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
NCAA South Central Regional
Cross Country Concludes Season at the NCAA South Central Regional
11/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 16, 2009
WACO, Texas - The University of Houston cross country teams concluded the season at the NCAA South Central Regional Saturday at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course. Both teams improved three spots from last year's showing, as the women pulled out a seventh-place finish and the men claimed 13th place.
Throughout the season, Nate Pineda led the Cougars in every event, and the NCAA Regional was no exception. Crossing the finish line at the 33:26.5 mark, the San Antonio sophomore secured a 58th-place finish. Always close behind, freshman David Smith claimed the 59th spot with a time of 33:28.1. Less than a minute later, Anthony Jordan finished in 90th place, running the 10K race in 34:23.1. Rounding out the top-five Houston finishers were Stephan Keller and Derrick Joe. Both finished in the top 100, as Keller ran a 34:28.9 race and Joe clocked 34:39.5.
"We knew we were going into the race banged up, and our men did the best that they could given their circumstances," head coach Ryan Turner said. "It's unrealistic to think that running 6.25 miles with an injury and doing it against healthy bodies will turn out in our favor. I thought our men competed with pride and held each other accountable. Our 13th-place finish was an improvement from last year's 16th-place finish, and we'll continue to inch our way up as our men develop."
Last year's NCAA Championship qualifier Stephanie Aldea led the Cougars with a 16th-place finish. The Windsor, Ontario native ran the 6K race in 21:34.3. Starla Garcia followed in 36th place with a time of 22:30.7. Brandi Witte was close behind, clocking 22:50.0 - good for a 43rd-place finish. Megan Munoz and Kathryn Ducommun rounded out the top-five for Houston. The two finished in the top 60, running a time of 23:04.2 and 23:06.5.
"Our women followed the plan we setup perfectly," Turner said. "Without a question this was their best effort of the season. We haven't been ranked any higher than ninth all season and to finish seventh was probably a shock to a lot of other teams. After our Monday time trial, I knew our women were ready to run well. We finished seventh, and we're happy with that, but realistically we weren't far from the fifth-place finisher Rice."
The top two teams in each of the nine regions qualify for the national championship as well as the top four individuals who are not on a qualifying team. In addition to the top regional finishers, 13 at-large teams are selected by a committee to compete at nationals. SMU and Baylor qualified as the top women's teams. If Arkansas, who was ranked No. 25 prior to the regional, had received an at-large bid, Aldea would have qualified as an individual for the second year in a row.
"She ran her smartest and, arguably, her best race of her career," Turner said. "She was under control at the mile and stayed relaxed through 3,000 meters then started picking runners off. At the mile she was in nearly 60th place and just kept moving up. To place higher this year then last year and not qualify for nationals is disappointing. This is something that she wanted badly, but she's had a great career here, and she'll be back. We're thankful to have her here at Houston, and she's a wonderful ambassador for our university."
The Cougars are now in preparation for the upcoming track and field season that begins on Dec. 12 at the Texas A&M Opener.
Men's South Central Regional Finishes
58. Nate Pineda- 33:26.5
59. David Smith- 33:28.1
90. Anthony Jordan- 34:23.1
92. Stephan Keller- 34:28.9
97. Derrick Joe- 34:39.5
101. Cole Bessner- 34:52.2
106. Andres Santaolalla- 35:08.6
Women's South Central Regional Finishes
16. Stephanie Aldea- 21:34.3
36. Starla Garcia- 22:30.7
43. Brandi Witte- 22:50.0
56. Megan Munoz- 23:04.2
59. Kathryn Ducommun- 23:06.5
117. Ciera Johnson- 24:54.2
Players Mentioned
