Junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) was selected as the 2008 MVP award following his best season as a Crusader. Pivarunas held the men's team fastest time in all but one competition, and was honor as the AD3I runner of the week 6 times. He was also dubbed the NEAC runner of the week following his 30:02 8k time at the Texas Lutheran University Invitational in Seguin, TX. His 29:27 4th place finish at the NEAC conference championship in Cobleskill, NY merited him a spot on the NEAC All-Conference team and helped the team to a 4th place finish. Pivarunas collected 3 other top 15 finishes, finishing 9th at the UT-Tyler Invitational (30:02), 4th at the University of Dallas Invitational (30:27), and 14th at the Southwestern University Invitational (28:48). His season best time came during the Georgetown Invitational. The New York native wrapped up the season with a 122nd (29:35) place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional on November 15th.
The UD cross country teams finished the season at the regional meet in Seguin, TX this weekend. Hosted by Texas Lutheran University, the trip marked the second time the Crusaders competed on the course this season. The two squads competed in the Texas Lutheran Invitational in early October. Fresh off a NEAC Championship performance, the women finished 18th out of 24 teams in the 6k race. Junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) led the Lady Crusaders and finished 33rd out of 169 runners. She crossed the line in a time of 24:19 and earned All-Region with her performance. She was followed by freshman Catherine Sercer (Fort Scott, KS/Fort Scott H.S.) with a new personal best time of 24:28 to place 39th. Freshman Patsy Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) finished 133rd at 27:39, sophomore Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/ St. Agnes Academy) 146th in 28:32, sophomore Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods Academy) 154th in 28:50, senior Noel Lewis (Grantsburg, WI/Seton Home School) 158th in 28:59, and freshman Heather Capozzella (Enid, OK/Enid H.S.) 159th 29:04 rounded out the Lady Crusader team.The men's team was unable to finish in the team standings due a rash of late season injuries. Junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) paced the men and finished 103rd out of 152 competitors with a time of 29:35. He was followed by sophomore Joseph Lynne with a time 31:08, Cale Cummings finished in 34:13, and freshman Joshua McGehee in 35:47.Overall both the men's and the women's teams had a great season under the leadership of first year coach Jody Hawkins. She was named the NEAC Women's Coach of the Year and led both squads to success on and off the course. Congratulations Crusaders on a great season!
KANSAS CITY, MO - University of Dallas junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) is this week's Association of Division III Independents women's cross country Runner of the Week. Cuba ran an 18:40 5K and finished second out of 55 runners at the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in Cobleskill, N.Y. Her season-best 5K run helped the team to a first place finish overall out of seven teams. Cuba's performance was good enough for a school record, exceeding the former record by more than a minute, and First Team All-Conference honors. Cuba and her teammates' efforts helped first year coach Jody Hawkins in being named NEAC Women's Coach of the Year. Cuba has now won the Association of Division III Independents women's cross country runner of the week award 4 times this season.
KANSAS CITY, MO - University of Dallas junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) has been named the Association of Division III Independents men's cross country Runner of the Week. Pivarunas ran a 28:34 8K and finished in fourth place out of 70 competitors in the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in Cobleskill, NY. He led his team to a fourth place finish out of eight teams and was named First Team All-Conference for his efforts. Pivarunas has now won the Association of Division III Independents men's cross country runner of the week award 6 times this season.
The University of Dallas Cross Country team represented itself well at the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday morning in Cobleskill, NY. Junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) paced the women's team and led them to a 1st place finish, 2 points ahead of SUNY-Cobleskill, while fellow junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) led the men to a 4th place finish.Cuba was narrowly edged out and finished in 2nd place out of 55 competitors in the women's 5k race. Her 18:40 run was only 9 seconds behind Penn State-Berks' Susan Bolgi. Her 6k time set the school record at UD, 1 minute and 15 seconds better than former record holder Elena Yates, and she was named First Team All-Conference for her efforts. Freshman Catherine Sercer (Fort Scott, KS/Fort Scott H.S.), who was also named First Team All-Conference, crossed the line in 4th place in a time of 19:25 and sophomore Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Academy) finished 12th in 21:30 and was named Second Team All-Conference. Sercer's time was 30 seconds ahead of the old record of 19:55. Freshman Patsy Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) placed 15th in 21:46 to earn Third Team All-Conference honors, senior Noel Lewis (Grantsburg, WI/Seton Home School) finished in 22:05 to come in 15th place and also earn Third Team All-Conference honors. Freshman Heather Cappozella (Enid, OK/Enid H.S.) finished in 20th place in 22:23, and sophomore Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods Academy) finished in 21st place with a time of 22:59. First year coach Jody Hawkins was named the NEAC Women's Coach of the Year for her team's efforts on Saturday.Pivarunas' 4th place finish out of 70 runners in the men's 8k race highlighted the UD performance for the men. He ran a 29:27 and was named First Team All-Conference, and was followed by freshman teammate Michael Falconer (Portland, OR/Portland Waldorf H.S.) who finished15th with a time of 31:34. Falconer was named Third Team All-Conference. Senior Andre Bagur (Baton Rouge, LA/Catholic H.S.) finished 20th in 32:23, sophomore Joseph Lynne (Staunton, VA/Guardian Angel Regional Catholic School) finished 38th in 33:21, Jordan Scott (Whitehouse, TX/Whitehouse H.S.) finished 30th in 33:45, freshman Joshua McGehee (Phoenix, AZ/Veritas Prep Academy) finished 36th in 35:19, and freshman Cale Cummings finished 36th in 36:10.Once again, the team has 2 weeks off to prepare for the NCAA South/Southeast Region in Seguin, TX on Saturday, November 15th.
In the first match of the Southwestern University Invitational, the Lady Crusader volleyball team fell to the University of St. Thomas Celts in five sets 25-12, 25-23, 23-25, 20-25, 18-20. During the course of the match, sophomore libero Kelli Fuentes (Garland, TX/Rowlett H.S.) recorded an incredible 60 digs, and set a new season digs record for the Crusaders. Sophomore Celina Farrell (Corinth, TX/Lake Dallas H.S.), and senior Scarlet Walls (Garland, TX/Rowlett H.S.) also played strongly, as Walls provided her teammates with 34 assists, many of which set up Farrell, who had 18 kills. Senior setter Krysta Hample (Loveland, CO/Loveland H.S.) finished Saturday's first match with 3 service aces.In the last match of the tournament, the Lady Crusaders will round out their season when they face one of their toughest opponents of the year as they go up against the #12 nationally ranked the Southwestern University Pirates at 2:00pm. In the final match of the season, the 12th ranked Southwestern University Pirates in three sets 19-25, 12-25, 18-25, defeated the Lady Crusaders. Seniors Scarlet Walls (Garland, TX/Rowlett H.S.), and Krysta Hample (Loveland, CO/Loveland H.S.) both played well in their final outings as Crusaders. Walls added 18 assists to her existing UD career assist record, and Hample with 2 service aces continued to contribute to the Lady Crusaders offensive efforts. Sophomore Kelli Fuentes (Garland, TX/Rowlett H.S) again anchored the UD defensive, recording 32 digs, helping set up the Crusader attack which was led by freshman middle blocker Danielle Fuchs (St. Charles, MO/Duchesne H.S.) 9 kills. On this note, the Lady Crusaders ended their season with a 16-16 record, which was not indicative of how talented the team really was. With the loss of only two seniors and a very talented group of underclassmen, the team should be able to enter next season confident that will be able to improve on this year's record.
KANSAS CITY, MO - University of Dallas junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) has been named the Association of Division III Independents men's cross country Runner of the Week. Pivarunas ran a 28:48 8K on his way to a 14th place finish out of 43 competitors. The team placed fourth out of six teams.Pivarunas has been honored as the AD3I men's cross country Runner of the Week five times this season, and becomes the 7th UD harrier to be named Runner of the Week by the AD3I.
The men's cross country team finished in 4th place out of 6 teams with 114 points in the Southwestern University Open men's 8k race. Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) led the team and finished 14th out of 43 competitors with a time of 28:48. Andre Bagur (Baton Rouge, LA/Catholic H.S.) and Michael Falconer (Portland, OR/Portland Waldorf H.S.) finished 19th and 23rd in 30:31 and 30:59. The Lady Crusaders' cross country team also faired well in the Southwestern Open 6K, and placed 3rd among 6 other teams. They accumulated 75 points, and were edged out by Texas Lutheran University who finished with 71 points. Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) led the way with a time of 24:23 in 6th place. Catherine Sercer (Fort Scott, KS/Fort Scott H.S.) finished 12th in 26:04 and Patsy Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) finished 15th in 27:36. The teams have the next 2 weekends off to prepare for the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in Cobleskill, NY, on Saturday, November 1.
The University of Dallas harriers finished strong at the University of Dallas Invitational Saturday, October 11 on the campus of UD. Running on a new course that started and finished near the Tower, junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) led the women in the 6k race by finishing 1st out of 21 runners in a time of 24:35. The first place finish marks the second year in a row that she won the University of Dallas Invitational. Freshmen Catherine Sercer (Fort Scott, KS/Fort Scott H.S) and Patsy Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) rounded out the UD women that finished in the top ten. Sercer ran a time of 25:59 to finish in 3rd place, while Craig ran a 27:50 to finish in 7th place. The UD women finished the meet in second place out of 3 teams. The UD men were led by junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S) who finished 4th out of 33 runners with a time of 30:27 in the men's 8k race. Senior Andre Bagur (Baton Rouge, LA/Catholic H.S.) rounded out the top ten with a 10th place finish in a time of 31:34. The team finished 3rd out of 4 teams.Next up for the cross country team is the Southwestern University Open next Saturday in Georgetown, TX.
KANSAS CITY, MO - University of Dallas junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) has been named the Association of Division III Independents men's cross country Runner of the Week. Pivarunas finished 59th out of 99 participants by running a 30:02 8K at the Texas Lutheran Invitational. UD finished 10th as a team.
Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX) was selected as the NEAC Women's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the week for her 13th place of 74 finishers at the 6K Texas Lutheran Invitational with a time of 24:56 (6:41 per mile pace). Cuba is a junior for the University of Dallas Crusaders whose team placed 8th out of 9 teams.Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY) was selected as the NEAC Men's Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week for his 59th place of 99 finishers at the 8K Texas Lutheran Invitational with a time of 30:02 (6:02 per mile pace). Pivarunas is a junior for the University of Dallas Crusaders whose team placed 10th out of 13 teams.
Georgetown, TX - The Crusader harriers competed in the Texas Lutheran Invitational Saturday morning. The Crusader men finished in 10th place out of 13 teams in the 8k race. Greg Pivarunas finished 59th in 30:02 to lead the men, while freshman Michael Falconer finished right behind by placing 60th in 30:06. Junior Angela Cuba once again led the UD women that placed 8th out of 9 teams. She ran a 24:56 in the 6k race and finished in 13th place. Freshmen Patsy Craig and Katherine Sercer were next to cross the finish line. Craig came in 29th place by running a 27:22 and Sercer finished in 31st place with a time of 27:32.
KANSAS CITY, MO - University of Dallas junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) has been named the Association of Division III Independents men's cross country Runner of the Week. Pivarunas ran a season-best 8K with a time of 29:16.80 on his way to finishing 25th out of 65 runners.
This weekend in the Texas D3 State Championships in Abilene, TX, the Lady Crusaders finished in fourth place out of seven teams. They were led by three Crusaders who finished in the top twenty in their 6k race, including junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) and freshman Catherine Sercer (Fort Scott, KS/Fort Scott H.S) who finished seventh and ninth respectively. Cuba's sixth place finish was timed at 25:08, while Sercer's ninth finish was recorded at 25:21. Freshman Patsy Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) came in eighteenth with a time of 26:53. Also, sophomore Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Academy) placed thirty-sixth with a time of 28:52. Senior Noel Lewis (Grantsburg, WI/Seton Home Study School) finished with a time of 29:20, freshman Heather Capozella had a time of 29:24, and freshman Clair Hand finished in 29:44. Sophomore Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.) finished up the UD women with a time of 30:27.The boys also raced well in the men's 8k. Junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) finished first among the Crusader boys with a time of 29:16. Joseph Lynne followed close behind with a time of 32:52. Cale Cummings' time was 33:34; Jordan Scott (Whitehouse, TX/Whitehouse H.S.), 34:40; Joshua MeGehee (Phoenix, AZ/Veritas Prep Academy), 35:33; William Gibula (Richmond, TX/Strake Jesuit H.S.), 36:29; Dylan Key, 39:25; and Robert Landreau, 42:27. The Crusader's next race is at the Texas Lutheran Invitational in Seguin, TX. The Saturday, October 4 race will be ran on the same course of this year's NCAA South/Southeast Regional.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? University of Dallas junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, N.Y.) has been named the Association of Division III Independents men's cross country Runner of the Week. Pivarunas ran a 30:02 8K on his way to a ninth place finish. His time was three seconds faster than it was at the same race last season. University of Dallas junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, Texas) is this week's Association of Division III Independents women's cross country Runner of the Week. Cuba ran a 24:20.31 6K on her way to a first place finish among 27 competitors. Her time was almost identical to her result at the same race last year. Dallas finished second out of three teams.
In new coach Jody Hawkin's UD debut, junior Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) placed first in the women's 6k among 27 competitors and led the women to a second place finish behind host UT-Tyler. Cuba's time of 24:20.31 was nearly identical to her third place finish in last year's race at UT-Tyler. Her performance led the UD women who placed three others in the top ten. Freshman Catherine Sercer (Ft. Scott, KS/Ft. Scott H.S.) placed fifth at 26:39.46, freshman Patsy Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) placed sixth at 26:52.24, and sophomore Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Academy) placed eighth at 27:39.40. Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.), Katherine Avila (Irving, TX/Nimitz H.S.), and Noel Lewis (Grantsburg, WI/Seton Home Study School) rounded out the top twenty for UD, while freshman Heather Capozell came in twenty-third with a time of 31:36. Junior Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) made the top ten coming in ninth overall with a time of 30:02 in the men's 8k, three seconds under his time last year. Senior Sean Cusack (Columbus, OH) at 32:13 and sophomore Joseph Lynne at 34:05 finished in the top twenty. Next up for the Crusader harriers is the Memphis Twilight In Memphis, TN next Saturday, September 13.
The University of Dallas named Jody Hawkins the new cross country coach for the 2008-2009 school year. Hawkins will be joining the University 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 holds 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 is glad that they are adding such a very successful and passionate runner and hope that Hawkins can help the Crusaders find success in the 2008 season and beyond.
Troy Thrasher announced his resignation as the head cross country and track coach effective immediately. The Kansas native also served as the assistant men's basketball coach under head coach Brian Stanfield.
KANSAS CITY, MO.-- For the second year in a row, Nebraska Wesleyan's Amber Brandenburger, a SR from Columbus, NE, was named the female runner of the year after she finished second at the NCAA Central Regional and 16th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. She shared the runner-of-the-year award with Lauren DiSessa of Green Mountain College and Rachel Fichthorn of Salem College. DiSessa, a JR from Westfield, MA, was a consistently strong finisher for the Eagles, while Fichthorn, a JR from Nokesville, VA, won the AD3I Northeast Region championship in Boston. Also for the second year in a row, Chris Dunker, a SR JR from Beatrice, NE, was voted the male runner of the year. Dunker, who was named to the All-American squad, led the Prairie Wolves to an 11th consecutive appearance at the NCAA championships. He also led Nebraska Wesleyan to a sixth straight Central Regional championship. Nebraska Wesleyan landed three runners on the men's first team - Dunker, Greg Timblin and Brian Copley - and two runners - Brandenburger and Brittany Hubbard - on the women's first team. University of California, Santa Cruz runner Mikayla Murphy, a FR from San Luis Obispo, was named the women's rookie runner of the year. Green Mountain College harrier John Hoffman, a FR from Bala Cynwyd, PA, was voted as the men's rookie runner of the year. Coach J.P. Widner from Salem College was selected as the women's coach of the year, while Mitchell College coach Todd Peretz was named the men's coach of the year. The All-Independent Men's and Women's Cross Country teams were selected by the men's and women's cross country coaches from the Association of Division III Independents member schools.Women's First Team Amber Brandenburger, SR, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLauren DiSessa, JR, Green Mountain CollegeRachel Fichthorn, JR, Salem CollegeBrittany Hubbard, SR, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityMichelle Phillips, JR, Univ. of Maine-Presque IsleWomen's Second Team Daphne Nichols, JR, Salem CollegeMikayla Murphy, FR, University of California, Santa CruzBridget Baldwin, JR, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLupe Cazares, SO, Mills CollegeLeah Joy, SR, Univ. of Maine-Presque IsleWomen's Honorable Mention Jackie Spelts, SO, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityAliana Fillback, FR, Newbury CollegeNicole Horvath, FR, Green Mountain CollegeAdilene Sanchez, FR, Cal State - East BayLily Page, JR, Mills CollegeJin-Mee Leal, FR, Cal State - East BayMen's First Team Chris Dunker, SR, Nebraska Wesleyan University Greg Timblin, SR, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityHerrel Siller Jr., JR, Newbury CollegeBrian Copley, SO, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityJoshua Wang, SO, Green Mountain CollegeMen's Second TeamAndrew Laflin, SO, Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityJohn Hoffman, FR, Mitchell CollegeBranden Mountain, FR, Newbury CollegeEmerson Wright, JR, Univ. of Maine-Presque IsleMarcos Gomez, SR, Cal State - East BayMen's Honorable MentionJake Lewis, FR, Green Mountain CollegeZachary Mujica, FR, Chapman UniversityElliott Nicholson, FR, Cal State - East BayLandry Daniels, JR, Cal State - East BayGreg Pivarunas, SO, University of DallasThe Association of Division III Independents consists of 21 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition in nine sports in 2007-08. The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. The Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it will announce All-Independent teams at the conclusion of eight other sports this year. More information about the Association of Division III Independents is available at http://www.d3independents.org.
Williamsburg, VA- Sophomore Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) was named All-Region, finishing in 25th place out of 186 runners in the women's 6k with a time of 24:37. Other ladies contributing to the team's success were Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.) who finished 123rd at 28:07, Katherine Avila (Irving, TX/Nimitz H.S.) who finished 143rd at 29:51, Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Academy) who finished 155th at 30:11, Johanna Weston (Sugar Land, TX/Dulles H.S.) who finished 157th at 30:27, and Mary Kate Urban (Huffman, TX/Hargrave H.S.) who finished 159th at 30:38.Although the men's team did not place due to team size challenges, sophomore Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) and Matt Spenla (Tempe, AZ/McClintock H.S.) represented the University of Dallas in the men's 8k with pride and stamina. Pivarunas finished 75th out of 170 runners with a time of 28:32, while Spenla finished 140th with a time of 31:04.
Gregory Pivarunas Sets New School Record at InvitationalAt the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Invitational cross country meet in St. Louis, MO, sophomore Gregory Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) broke the University of Dallas school record for the men's 5K. Ray Heipp set the previous record in 1982 at 17:22. Pivarunas established the new record with a time of 16:49. Freshman Matt Spenla (Tempe, AZ/Mclintock H.S.) came in third place with a time of 17:37. Freshman Luke Dixon (St. Augustine H.S.), freshman Michael Werley (Monroe, LA/Burleson H.S.), junior Tyler Balzer (Sparta, WI/Aquinas H.S.), and junior Dan Mortenson (Holmen, WI/Aquinas H.S.) also placed in the meet. Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) came in second for the women with a 5k time of 20:45. Freshmen Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.) and Katherina Avila (Irving, TX/Nimitz H.S.) came in 7th and 10th respectively, to round out the top ten. Both the men and women came in third place overall in the meet. The Crusaders final meet is on the November 10th at the NCAA D3 South/Southeast Regional in Newport News, VA.
On Saturday, October 6, the University of Dallas hosted the UD Cross Country Invitational. The other schools in attendance included Schreiner University, UT-Dallas, and UT-Tyler. The top individual finisher in the 6k race was sophomore Crusader Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.), with a time of 24:30.22. The first place finishing team was UT-Tyler with a score of 26. Sarah Hankla led UT-Tyler, finishing in second place with a time of 25:48.22. Also finishing in the top five for UD was senior Angela Weisse (Morgantown, WV). Her time was 27:43.62. Freshman Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.) placed 6th in 27:58.10, senior Laura Jura (Fresno, CA/San Joaquin Memorial H.S.) crossed in 8th in 28:40.86, and sophomore Katherina Avila (Irving, TX/Nimitz H.S.) finished 9th in 28:47.92 to round out the top ten for UD. Narrowly missing the top ten for UD were the 11th, 12th, and 13th place runners. Freshman Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Academy) was the first out of the trio to cross in 29:38.27, Catherine Podegracz (Van Nuys, CA/Bishop Academy) cam in at 29:41.92, and Johanna Weston (Sugar Land, TX/Dulles H.S.) finished in 30:24.86. Next up is the second of two invitationals hosted by the University of Dallas. The women's 6k on Saturday, October 11, 2007 begins at 9:00 am.
The University of Dallas hosted the first of back-to-back cross country meets on Saturday, October 6, 2007. The women's 6k started off the morning at 9:00am, with the men's 8k following at 10:00am. UT-Tyler, Schreiner University, and UT-Dallas all participated in the event. The undisputed winner of the race was UT-Tyler's Chauncey Deller with a time of 28:09.20. The University of Dallas had 5 men complete the Invitational. Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) was the top runner for UD placing 2nd out of 22 participants with a time of 30:13.34 on the tough course. Next in for UD were Matt Spenla (Tempe, AZ/McClintock H.S.), Michael Werley (Monroe, LA/Burleson H.S.), and Reed Oken (Oklahoma City, OK/Heritage Hall H.S.). UD is schedule to run at home in the second cross country invitational next Saturday.
The University of Dallas Crusaders cross country team competed in the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course/Cowboy Jamboree at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK on September 29. On a beautiful Saturday morning, UD joined over twenty other teams to compete in the "oldest consecutive cross country race in the United States." The men ran in the men's College Division 8k race, while the women participated in the College Division 5k race. 2007 marked the 71st annual Cowboy Jamboree, a yearly tradition for some of the best college, university, and high school cross country teams in the nation.The men ran exceptionally well on the challenging and unique course, placing 22nd out of 25 teams. Sophomore Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) paced the Crusaders with a 69th place finish in a time of 28:33. Next to complete the race for UD was freshman Matt Spenla (Tempe, AZ/McClintock H.S), who finished 118th at 30:14. The next 3 finishers for UD were freshmen. In 143rd place with a time of 32:13 was Luke Dixon (St. Augustine H.S); Phillip Carkhuff placed 155th with a time of 35:33; and Michael Werley (Monroe, LA/Burleson H.S.) in 159th place with a time of 36:54.The Lady Crusaders team placed 22nd out of 25 teams, running an amazing race. Sophomore Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) led the women's team placing 48th at 20:23. In 135th was freshman Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/Richwoods H.S.) who had a time of 22:42. Freshman Catherine Podegracz (Van Nuys, CA/Bishop Alemany) timed in at 23:47 for 169th. Close behind her was sophomore Katherina Avila (Irving, TX/Nimitz H.S.) who placed 172nd at 23:51. Freshman Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/St. Agnes Academy) finished up for UD in 192nd at 25:06.Several organizations, ranging from professional to NCAA Division I, run meets on the unique course. The University of Dallas Crusader cross country team next competes at home this Saturday, October 6. UT-Dallas, UT-Tyler and Schreiner University will be running alongside the Crusaders. So grab some friends and come on down to cheer on your Crusaders!
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - University of Dallas sophomore Angela Cuba (Holliday, Texas) is this week's Association of Division III Independents women's cross country Runner of the Week. Cuba ran a 24:26 6K at the Texas NCAA Div. III State Cross Country Meet in Abilene, Texas over the weekend. Her impressive run placed her third in a field of 74 for the women's race.
University of Dallas sophomore Angela Cuba (Holliday, Texas) is this week's Association of Division III Independents women's cross country Runner of the Week. Cuba ran a 24:20 6K on her way to a third place finish at the University of Texas-Tyler Invitational in Tyler, Texas. Her finish was out of 58 total competitors and the team took fourth place out of eight teams.
The men's cross-country team made a strong showing at this past weekend's UT Tyler Invitational (8K). The Crusaders were lead by sophomore Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY /St Francis HS) who came in twentieth place overall at a time of 30:05.Also placing for UD were Matt Spenla (Tempe, AZ /McClintock HS), Luke Dixon (San Diego, CA /St. Augustine HS), Philip Carkhuff, and Michael Werley (Monroe, LA /Burleson HS). Next up for the men will be the Texas D3 State Championships in Abilene on the 22nd of September.
Led by the very talented Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday HS), the Lady Crusaders made a very strong showing at the UT Tyler Invite on September 9th. Cuba placed third overall with a time of 24:20, finishing just six seconds behind second. Also scoring for UD were Theresa Smart (Peoria, IL/ Richwoods HS) in 27th, Jessica Twining (Magnolia, TX /Anderson-Shiro Secondary) in 28th, Katherina Avila (Irving, TX /Nimitz HS) in 32nd, and Renee Yackley (Houston, TX/ St. Agnes Academy) in 38th. Their fourth place finish is a strong indication of things to come, as this very young team will only continue to improve. The ladies will next head to Abilene to run at the Texas D3 State Championships on September 22nd.
Troy Thrasher was as the named the new cross country and track coach on July 3. The Kansas native has been involved in coaching over the last 15 years, with his most recent stop as the head basketball coach for Sacred Heart H.S. in Salina, KS. His coaching experience and leadership skills as a former teacher will take the Crusader running programs to new heights. He also has experience leading women's basketball and golf teams. Thrasher was a member of the United States Navy before his graduation from Emporia State University in Emporia, KS in 1994 with a bachelors of science degree in physical education with an emphasis in coaching. He earned his masters degree in Sports Administration from Wichita State University in 2002.
The University of Dallas Cross Country team wrapped up a successful year with 4 runners being honored by the AD3I. Senior Mark Landreneau (Alexandria, LA/Menard H.S.) and freshman Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) were honored for the men and senior Glencora Cowan (Baton Rouge, LA/St. Joseph's Academy) and freshman Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) on the women's side.As he did all year, Landreneau led the way in the honor's department. The Alexandria, LA native was UD's only first team honoree. He led the men in all 5 meets he participated in and topped out with a school record breaking 8k time of 26:41 at a meet on the Doane College campus in Crete, NE. At the race he finished 3rd out of 54 competitors and lost to a runner from Doane College (NAIA) and Creighton University (NCAA DI). Landreneau's top placing finishes were his 2 wins at the UD Invitationals. At the October 7 meet he ran a 27:14 8k to break the course record and was named the AD3I's Runner of the Week for his performance. He earned top ten finishes in 4 of the 5 meets he ran in, with is only finish out of the top ten coming in the NCAA South/Southeast regional. At the meet in Atlanta, GA he placed 27 out of 152 runners. The philosophy major was honored as an USCAA Academic All-American after the 2006 cross country campaign and was named the Men's MVP for the 2006 season. New York native Greg Pivarunas was named to the honorable mention team. Pivarunas' top time was a 27:48 8k and his top finish was a 2nd place finish at the October 14 UD Invitational.Garnering top honors for the UD women was Angela Cuba. The freshman was named to the second team. Nicknamed "Smange" by her teammates, the Holliday, TX native led the women at the first 4 meets and topped out with a 20:39 5k. She placed in the top ten at the teams' first 5 meets and peaked with a 6th place finish at the October 7th UD Invitational. Glencora Cowan was named to the honorable mention team. The senior made great strides toward improvement over the off-season and throughout the year as she worked her way into the team leader during the final 3 races of the season. Cowan's best time was a 21:05 at Dean White Invitational in Crete, NE and her best finishes came at the 2 UD Invitationals where she finished first. The Louisiana native was named an Academic All-American by the USCAA following the season and was honored as the AD3I's Runner of the Week for her performance at the October 7th UD Invitational. Cowan was honored by her teammates as the 2006 Women's MVP.
The University of Dallas men's and women's Cross Country teams completed fine seasons at the 2006 NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional in Decatur, Georgia. Hosted by Emory University and held on the beautiful terrain of the Georgia Regional Hospital, the NCAA Regional served as proving ground for the progress the teams have made since the 2005 campaign. Starting off the event on Saturday November 11, 2006 was the men's 8k at 11:00am, followed by the women's 6k at 12:00pm. The Lady Crusaders finished a stellar 17th place out of 26 teams, and were propelled by team leaders, Glencora Cowan (Baton Rouge, LA/St. Joseph's Academy) and Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.). At the 2005 Regional in Conway, AR the women finished 21 out of 22 teams. Senior captain, Cowan completed her career at the University, leading her team and finishing 43rd (25:35) out of 177 runners. Freshman standout, Cuba followed Cowan, coming in 48th (25:51) place. The two have come through for the team all season long, and were instrumental in the team beating 9 teams. The duo was backed by freshman Marta Maraccini (Flower Mound, TX/Flower Mound H.S.) finishing 110th with a time of 28:37, sophomore Monica Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) finishing 130th in 30:01, sophomore Karla Salerno (Austin TX/St. Michael's Academy) with a time of 31:36 coming in 146th and freshman Trishey Nelson (Raleigh, NC/Cardinal Gibbons H.S.) running a 32:24 and coming in 153rd.The men's squad represented the school well placing 13th out of 21 teams. Senior captain Mark Landreneau (Alexandria, LA/Menard H.S.) led the Crusaders finishing 26th place out of 152 runners with a time of 27:08 in the 8k race. Landreneau was followed by freshman Gregory Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) who came in 62nd place running 28:41. Freshman Reed Onken (Ok. City, OK/Heritage Hall H.S.), junior Andre Bagur (Baton Rouge, LA/Catholic H.S.), and freshman Garrett Yuen (Rockwall, TX/Rockwall H.S.) came in 76th, 80th, and 85th place respectively with times of 29:15, 29:25, and 29:35. At the 2005 Regional held in Conway, AR the men finished 17th out of 19 teams.The 2006 season illustrated the great progress the University of Dallas harriers have made. The top athletes for the men and women's teams (Landreneau and Cowan) are leaving via graduation, but cross country at this fine University is on the rise.
In the second home meet of the 2006 campaign, the Crusader cross country teams managed convincing victories over UT-Dallas. The women finished with 23 points, 13 less than UT-Dallas and the men finished with 15 points against 4 UT-Dallas men.Crossing the finish line first for the women in 25:13 was UD's Glencora Cowan (Baton Rouge, LA/ St. Joseph's Academy). Cowan placed first on the same course for the second consecutive meet. Freshman Cynthia Baker (Baton Rouge, LA/Baton Rouge Magnet H.S.) placed third in 28:15, freshman Marta Maracinni (Flower Mound, TX/Flower Mound H.S.) placed fifth in 28:50, sophomore Monica Craig (Hillsdale, MI/Hillsdale Academy) placed sixth in 29:01, and freshman Trishey Nelson (Raleigh, NC/Cardinal Gibbons H.S.) who placed eight in 29:43 rounded out the top five for the Crusader women. Sophomores Karla Salerno (Austin, TX/St. Michael's Academy) and Sarah Baxter (Allen, MI/Will Carleton Academy) also placed in the top ten for the young UD squad. Salerno ran a 30:28 6k and while Baxter ran a 34:44.Crossing the line in first in the men's 8k was UD's Mark Landreneau (Alexandria, LA/Menard H.S.) in 29:58. Like Cowan, Landreneau placed first on his home course for the second straight week. Freshmen Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/St. Francis H.S.) was second in 30:34 and Garrett Yeun (Rockwall, TX/Rockwall H.S.) was third in 30:53. Junior Andre Bagur (Baton Rouge, LA/Catholic H.S.) and sophomore Timothy Dean (Leighton, IA/Home School) rounded out the top five for UD. Bagur finished fifth in 32:37 and Dean in 9th in 37:15.Next up for the UD runners is a trip to Clinton, MS for the Millsaps College Invitational on Saturday, October 21st. The starting gun for the women's race fires at 8:30am.
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association named Louisiana natives and seniors Glencora Cowan and Mark Landreneau Players of the week in their respective sport. Cowan received the Women's Runner of the Week, while Landreneau was named the Men's Runner of the Week Honorable Mention.Cowan propelled her team to a second place finish at the first University of Dallas Invitational. The Baton Rouge (St. Joseph's Academy) distance runner ran a 24:21 on a difficult 6K course, allowing her to finish first among 32 competitors. Her time was 4 seconds behind the UD course record set by recent graduate Elena Yates.Landreneau once again dominated his competition last weekend; placing first among 38 competitors and leading his team to a third place finish. The Alexandria (Menard H.S.) distance runner's 27:14 established a new meet record.
Senior Mark Landreneau (Alexandria, LA/Menard H.S.) was named this week's Association of Division III Independents men's cross country Runner of the Week. The philosophy major ran a 27:14 8K on his hilly home course during the Oct. 7 University of Dallas Invitational. His top finish was among 32 competitors and he led his team to a third place finish overall. Landreneau is coached by Ryan Frey.
Senior Glencora Cowan (Baton Rouge, LA/St. Joseph's Academy) was been named the Association of Division III Independents women's cross country Runner of the Week. The English major ran a 24:21 6K on her way to first place while pacing the team to a second place finish during the University of Dallas Invitational on Oct. 7. Her time was three seconds short of the course record set by former teammate Elena Yates in 2004. Cowan is coached by Ryan Frey.
The UD harriers made the early morning trip to Abilene for the Texas Division III State Championships held in the cozy Abilene State Park on Sat., Sept. 23. Facing all D3 competition from the state of Texas, the women made a good showing on there way to a 4th place finish out of 7 teams. Freshman Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) and senior Glencora Cowan (Baton Rouge, LA/ St. Joseph's Academy) led the team with 8th (25:46) and 11th (26:01) place finishes. The two continue to be a 1-2 punch for the women's squad. In 4 meets Cowan has finished 18th, 14th, 15th, and 11th, while Cuba has 4 top-ten finishes (10th, 8th, 10th, and 8th). The duo was backed by sophomore Monica Craig finishing 39th in 29:39, Heather Haneman (Munster, IN/Munster H.S.) finishing 40th in 29:41, Marta Maraccini (Flower Mound, TX/Flower Mound H.S.) finishing 41st in 29:42, and Sarah Baxter (Allen, MI/ Will Carleton Academy) finishing 58th in 35:26. The men's squad took a young team with three freshmen and one junior and still managed to make a strong showing despite not having enough runners to compete as a team. Freshman Greg Pivarunas (Elma, NY/ St. Francis H.S.) lead the team in 29:24 finishing in a strong 14th place. Freshman Reed Onken (Oklahoma City, OK/Heritage Hall H.S.) also broke 30 minutes with a time of 29:55, placing in 17th. They were followed by junior Andre Bagur (Baton Rouge, LA/Catholic H.S.) running a 30:39, placing 22nd, and freshman Garret Yuen (Rockwall, TX/Rockwall H.S.) running a 31:55, finishing 29th. Next up for the UD cross country team is their first home meet. The women's 6k race commences at 9:00am, while the men's 8k starts at 10:00am.
Mark Landreneau is this week's Men's X-Country Runner of the Week. The Alexandria, LA native ran a 26:41 8K on his way to a 3rd place finish at the Dean White Invitational in Crete, Nebraska. The senior distance runner lowered the school's 8K record by 7 seconds, after shattering it by 58 seconds two weeks ago!
The University of Dallas cross-country team went to Crete, NE September 23 to compete in the Dean White Invitational, hosted by Doane College. The women's team finished 6th in the strong field of 7 teams. Freshman Angela Cuba (Holliday, TX/Holliday H.S.) and senior Glencora Cowan (Baton Rouge, LA/ St. Joseph's Academy) led the way for the Lady Crusaders. Cuba finished in a team best 10th place with a time of 20:39. Cowan wasn't far behind, finishing 15th in 21:05. The team was rounded out by Marta Maraccini finishing 49th with a time of 24:28, Heather Haneman finishing 53rd with a time of 24:43, Monica Craig finishing 58th with a time of 25:34, and Karla Salerno finishing 63rd with a time of 27:22. The men's team finished 5th in another tough race. They were led by the great performance of senior Mark Landreneau who finished 3rd out of 54 runners. His time of 26:41 not only led the team and earned him an Italian leather watch; it lowered the school record he set last week by 7 seconds. Freshman Greg Pivarunas also had a solid race finishing 14th in 28:07. The rest of the team came in together in 31st, 32nd, and 35th place. Reed Onken had a time of 29:44, Andre Bagur a time of 29:57, and Garret Yuen a time of 30:13.
In last weekend's UT-Tyler Invitational senior Mark Landreneau broke the school's 8k record by running a 26:48, good enough for 5th place. The Alexandria, LA native broke current teammate Byron Davis' standard set last season. The team takes this weekend off before traveling to Crete, NE for the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane College. A more extensive write-up on the UT-Tyler meet will be added shortly.
For the second consecutive year senior Elena Yates was honored with the Outstanding Student-Athlete award. In her final year of cross country competition, Yates was voted on by teammates as the women's MVP. During her senior season she broke the school?s 3-mile record (19:44) and the 5k record (19:55). Her unprecedented times gave her 4 individual course length records at UD. The Wilton, Maine native holds the 6k record (24:13), the 5k record (19:55), the 3-mile record (19:44), and the 2-mile record (12:46). Yates secured first place finishes in 4 out of the 8 races the team took part in. In h
