The Crusader 5k & Pep Rally scheduled for October 24th has been cancelled due to low registration numbers.  Please contact coach Madere at 972-721-4102 for any questions regarding the cancellation.

The 2009 cross country team looks poised for another breakout season. With first year coach Dore Madere leading the harriers, the return of seven letter winners, and the loss of only one senior, the cross country programs are set to pick up where they left off in 2008.

Leading the women’s team is three year letter winner and senior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.). Cuba is fresh off being named to the first team of both the North Eastern Athletic Conference and the Association of Division Three Independents teams, as well as a 2008 NCAA South/Southeast All-Region competitor. One of three letter winners returning to the women’s team, Cuba was named 2008 USTF&CCCA All-Academic and first team ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-Region. She will be joined by two time letter winner and junior Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.), the University of Dallas Scholar-Athlete and sophomore Heather Capozella (Enid, OK/Enid H.S.) to round out the returning women.

The men’s squad is also healthy with one returner. Last year’s team MVP, NEAC first team runner and AD3I first team member Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) provides the leadership with three letters under his belt. Pivarunas was also named first team ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-Region for his work in the classroom. Joining Pivarunas is letter winner Billy Gibula (Richmond, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep).

Beside Madere as coach, eight other newcomers will join the team. The four freshmen new to UD and the women’s cross country program are Laura Downes (Simpsonville, KY/Corpus Christi H.S.), Catherine Piescik (Vienna, VA/Home School), and Megan Deras (Omaha, NE/Duchesne Academy). Upperclassman Aida Manganiello (Lindale, TX/Lindale H.S.) round out the seven member women’s team. Freshman Alex Bukaty (New Orleans, LA/Jesuit H.S.), Paul Sampson (Stayton, OR/Regis H.S.), Clinton Heyer (Waterford, WI/Waterford Union H.S.), and senior Andrew Natali (Appleton, WI/Appleton North H.S.) are the three newcomers joining the men.

The team hits the trails for the first of 11 meets on September 5 at the UT-Tyler Invitational in Tyler, TX. Dallas will compete in eight races in the state of Texas before heading to the NEAC Championships on October 31 in Utica, NY. The schedule also includes local meets in Denton and Cedar Hills in addition to the University of Dallas Classic at 9:00am on October 10.

Junior harrier Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) wrapped up another great cross country season months ago, but the awards keep coming in. Cuba has been named All-Academic by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and the All-Academic Board of the National College DIII Women's Cross Country Coaches Association that governs this award.

Besides leading the women's team in all 8 races this season, she was named Association of Division III Independent (AD3I) Runner of the Week 3 times and the AD3I's Runner of the Month 1 time. She was also named the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Student-Athlete of the Week 1 time, as well as a first team member of the NEAC All-Conference Team following her second place finish out of 55 runners in the NEAC Conference Meet. In the race, she also broke the school's 5k record by finishing with a time of 18:40. Her team won the meet on their way to the school's first NEAC Conference Championship. The team also helped Jody Hawkins in being named NEAC Women's Coach of the Year. Cuba added to her personal accomplishments In the NCAA South/Southeast Regional, where she crossed the line in 33rd place out of 169 competitors in the 6k race and was named All-Region for her efforts.

At the conclusion of the season she was also named to 1st team of the AD3I's All Independent Team, and once again helped coach Hawkins in being selected as the AD3I's Women's Coach of the Year.

Angela Cuba

Junior team leaders Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) and Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis Academy) were recently selected as CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District winners. Since both student-athletes were named to the first team, the two are eligible for the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American team that will be announced later this month.

The duo led both the women and men to impressive cross country and track seasons under the guidance of first year head coach Jody Hawkins. Cuba led the women's cross country team in all eight races this season and ran a season best 6k time of 24:19, a season best 5k time of 18:40, was a five top ten finishes, won two races, was named AD3I Runner of the Week three times, AD3I Runner of the Month one time, NEAC Student-Athlete of the Week one time, was named first team All-NEAC, finished 2nd at NEAC meet & broke UD 5k record with 18:40. She was also named 1st team AD3I, and named All-Region after her 33rd place finish at NCAA South/Southeast Region and was honored as All-Academic by USTFCCA in 2008. She also holds the 3000 meter track record at UD of 10:55.41 set during the 2009 campaign. Since her arrival at UD in 2006, she has won various awards, including being named cross country MVP in 2006, an AD3I 2nd team member for cross country in 2006, and is a five time letter winner (three cross country, two track). The English major possesses a 3.73 GPA and has been named to the Dean's List all six semesters she has been at the University.

Pivarunas led the 2008 men's cross counry team in seven of eight races, had three top 10 finishes, and ran a best 8k time of 28:48.7. He also ran a school record 1:58.61 800 meter and 9:33.51 3000 meter during the 2009 track season. The five time letter-winner (three cross country, two track) was named the cross country MVP in 2008 and the track MVP in 2009, as well as a cross country captain in 2008. Other than the two track records he set this season, Pivarunas is the UD record holder in the cross country 5k and the track 4x4 relay. He was named to 1st Team NEAC All-Conference in cross country in 2008, 2nd team AD3I in cross country in 2008, Honorable Mention AD3I in cross country in 2007, and Honorable Mention AD3I in cross country in 2006. He was also a six time AD3I runner of the week for cross country during the 2008 campaign and NEAC student-athlete of week one time during the same season. The double major in English and Classics possesses a 3.756 and like Cuba has been named to the Dean's List all six semesters he has been at the University.

Greg Pivarunas

Successful UD Cross Country and Track Coach Resigns
Head cross country and track coach Jody Hawkins resigned on July 28, 2009, after her athlete's had successful season on the trails and track in her first year. Hawkins wasted no time in elevating UD's running programs as she was named the North Eastern Athletic Conference women's cross country coach of the year as her women's team won the NEAC title, and was honored as the AD3I's women's cross country coach of the year as well. Competing in the NEAC for the first time, seven cross country runners made one of three NEAC post-season teams, and four more harriers were selected to one of the AD3I's post-season teams under Hawkin's tutelage. The cross country team also had one all-region performer, one USTF&CCCA All-Academic runner, two members were chosen to the CoSIDA first team Academic All-American All-District team, and a team member was the 2008-09 UD Scholar-Athlete award recipient and 12 runners earned varsity letters. Hawkins also made her mark on the track program after year one. Two student-athletes received CoSIDA first team Academic All-American All-District honors and 17 runners won UD letters.

Hawkins came to the University in 2008 after a very successful stint at Centennial High School where she was named Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2007 for district 9-4AAAA. She had been a very successful high school coach for ten years in which she developed 90 district champions, 13 regional champions, and 8 state championship medalists. Hawkins also has had a very distinguished personal career in long distance running. During her college days, she was a five time All-American from 1984-89 and held every distance record at UT-San Antonio. As she moved on to professional running, she continued to climb in the running world reaching a #6 ranking in the world by Runners World Magazine and a #1 ranking in the 10 mile in 1993. She currently holds the third best 5k for runners forty and older and set the American Masters 3k indoor record in 2007 with a time of 9:56.24. The University of Dallas athletic department and it's cross country and track runners are sad to see a coach of her caliber leave.

Men's and Women's Cross Country has been offered at the University of Dallas since 1974. During the 2006 season both teams made significant improvements at the prestigious NCAA Regional. The men's team finished 13th out of 21 teams, while the women's team finished 17th out of 26 teams. In the 2005 season, the men finished 17th out of 19 teams, while the women finished 21st out of 22 teams.

During the past several years several school records in men's and women's cross country have fallen. In the 2004 season Elena Yates broke the women's 6k record (24:12.04), and in 2005 she broke the 5k (19:55) and 3 mile (19:44) records. She also holds the school's 2 mile record, and currently holds all the women's race length records.

In the 2006 season Mark Landreneau set the men's 8k school record of 26:41 8k.

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