 |
 Adu Dentamo, Charlotte |
Oct. 27, 2009
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The first two of 21 Atlantic 10 team champions will be crowned on Saturday, Oct. 31, with the running of the 2009 Atlantic 10 Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships at Forest Park in St. Louis, Mo.
The 32nd annual Men's Cross Country Championship will begin at 10:00am (CST) on the 8,000-meter course. Last year, Massachusetts edged Duquesne by a single point (75-76) to seize its second title in program history. The Minutemen are led by senior Jonathan Pierce, who finished ninth overall at the 2008 Championship, while Duquesne junior Mike Stolar has earned three A-10 Performer of the Week honors this season while registering a program-record time (24:02) on Oct. 2 at the Paul Short Invitational.
A three-time All-Conference selection, Charlotte's Adu Dentamo vies to defend his individual title after posting the third-fastest time (24:01.9) in Championship history a year ago. Dayton will be anchored by junior Chris Lemon, a five-time A-10 Performer of the Week selection who finished third at last year's Championship. The Flyers seek their first title in program history.
Joining Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne and Massachusetts in the quest for the 2009 crown will be Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier.
The 21st annual Women's Cross Country Championship will begin at 10:45am (CST). Richmond claimed its second crown in team annals in 2008 as it outdistanced Charlotte, 48-67, on the 5,000-meter course. It marked the 49ers' second runner-up finish in four seasons. Pacing the Spiders is senior Jenn Ennis, who was named the A-10 Performer of the Week on Sept. 21 after finishing second overall at the UNC Challenge.
Vying for its first league title, Charlotte is led by junior Amanda Goetschius, who recorded the third-fastest time (17:37.7) in Championship history last season en route to claiming the individual crown. Coming off a program-best third-place showing at the 2008 Championship, Dayton is anchored by junior Maureen Bulgrin, a three-time Performer of the Week selection this season, while 2008 runner-up Megan Hogan of George Washington seeks to become the program's first-ever A-10 cross country individual champion.
|
|
 |
Joining Charlotte, Dayton, George Washington and Richmond in the hunt for the 2009 title include Duquesne, Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier.
Admission to the Championship is free.
The Atlantic 10 Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships are the first two of 21 championships to be held this year - six of which will take place in the fall. The 2009 Women's Soccer Championship (Nov. 5-8) will be held at Transamerica Field on the campus of UNC Charlotte, while Garber Field, on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, will be the setting for the Field Hockey Championship (Nov. 6-7). The A-10 Men's Soccer Championship (Nov. 12-15) will be held at the University of Rhode Island, and the Women's Volleyball Championship (Nov. 20-22) will take place at the Frericks Center on the campus of the University of Dayton.
About the A-10
The Atlantic 10 Conference was formed in 1975, is currently comprised of 14 member institutions and sponsors 21 championship sports. The mission and goal of the Atlantic 10 is to preserve, protect, and enhance the academic and athletic excellence of our members. The conference is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and providing equitable championship experiences for more than 6,000 student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. Approaching the 35th anniversary in 2010-11, as a Division I Conference, we salute the outstanding members and leaders that have helped build the foundation of the Atlantic 10. The member institutions of the Atlantic 10 are the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University, Temple University, and Xavier University.
