The Rice Thresher, Vol. 93, No. 9, Ed. 1 Friday, October 21, 2005 Page: 17 of 20
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THE RICE THRESHER SPORTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21,2005
17
Women's cross country team
takes ninth at Pre-Nationals
by Matt McCabe
THRESHES EDITORIAL STAFF
The women's cross country team
burst onto the national scene Saturday
at Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind.
with a stellar ninth place performance
in a field of 35 teams. The Owls beat
five teams ranked in the top 30, and as
a result were ranked 24th nationally in
the Oct 17 poll. The team had not re-
ceived any votes in the Oct 3 edition.
"1 have felt for quite a while that we
were capable of what we did Saturday,"
head coach Jim Bevan said. "As a team
this is the best performance we've had
in a long, long time."
The appropriately titled race is run
on the same course as the NCAACham-
pionships. Rice has sent an individual
to the last two national meets; senior
Kate Gorry ran in 2003 and sophomore
Marissa Daniels ran in 2004. The Owls'
performance last weekend solidifies
the 2005 team as one seeking a team
bid to the national meet, instead of just
sending individuals.
"[Pre-Nationals] opened every-
one's eyes that even though we are
a small school, we're pretty good,"
Gorry said.
Daniels and Gorry, who finished
29th and 37th, respectively, in the
field of 232 once again led the Owls.
"Marissa ran a very good race,"
Bevan said. "She ran 35 seconds faster
than she did last year on that course.
Kate ran the best race that she's run
this year, and she's getting better
every day."
Sophomore Callie Wells ran a solid
race for Rice, finishing 58th. Seniors
Anna Reeve and Sarah Yoder took
112th and 115th, respectively.
"I think Callie ran the best cross
country race of her life," Gorry said.
"Everyone ran the race that they
needed to run."
Freshman Lea Garcia finished
152nd and sophomore Laura Kelley
finished 196th.
The members of the team who did
not compete at Pre-Nationals com-
peted at the Buffalo Bayou Invitational
in Houston Oct 17. The Owls captured
second place on the strength of top-
10 performances from senior Lauren
Murphy in third, junior Janine Moreau
in seventh and sophomore Leah
McKay in eighth. Junior Jessica Cox
and freshman I .aura Hudson rounded
out the Owl contingent, finishing 11th
and 14th, respectively.
The Owls will now focus on the
Conference USA Championships
Oct. 29 in Orlando, Fla., where they
hope to win the C-USA title in their
first season as a member of the con-
ference.
"The [girls] gotatasteofwhat [com-
petition is] like [at Pre-Nationals],and
we're not done," Bevan said. "They're
starting to believe in themselves as a
team and as runners."
Men 27th at Pre-Nationals
by Katy Miller
THRESHER STAEE
The men's cross country team
finished 27th overall in its (light at
the Pre-Nationals meet, held at Terre
Haute, Ind. Saturday. Senior M;ircel
Hewamudalige finished fifth in the
"Blue" division.
"Marcel had a huge run," head
coach Jon Warren 0<>nes '88) said.
"Almost ever ylxxly had a perst>nal best,
but... it wasn't a big enough jx'rsonal
best. Everyone else needs to improve
over the next two to four weeks."
Hewamudalige ran with the lead
pack for the majority of the race and
said he applied many of the lessons
he learned from the team's last meet
— the Cowboy Jamboree, held Oct. 1
at Oklahoma State University.
"At the Pre-Nationals meet, I concen-
trated on getting out a little bit harder,
and I got out there in front and kind of
stuck with it," Hewamudalige said. "I
wasn't as strong as some of the guys I
raced, but it turned out pretty well."
Sophomore Colby Keithan finished
162nd with a time of 25:42. Keithan
also said he drew on his experience
from the Oklahoma State meet at Pre-
Nationals.
"1 learned a lot in the OSU meet,"
Keithan said. "I applied that experience
to this meet... like having an idea of
where you are in ihe race and knowing
when you have to push."
Sophomore Charles Hampton
finished in 116th place overall, while
junior Pablo Solares took 175th and
freshman Justin Maxwell finished
194th. Seniors David Axel and Scott
Loftin did not finish the race due to
injury and illness.
The Owls now hope to build on
the experience gained from the Pre-
Nationals meet to prepare for the
Conference USAChampionships Oct.
29th. Texas-El Paso, currently ranked
10th nationally, will provide stiff com-
petition at the conference meet.
Hewamudalige said the Owls must
avoid looking too far forward.
The next couple weeks are go-
ing to be hard," he said. "But I'm not
looking too far ahead. We're really
trying to focus on every day, on every
workout"
SPICE UP YOUR ROOM
WITH A SET OF CUSTOM
CEILING-FAN BLADES
Golf vaults to fourth in Louisiana
by Matt McCabe
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
The golf team posted the lowest
final-round team score at the Squire
Creek Invitational in Ruston, La.,
propelling the Owls to a fourth place
finish in the 20-team field. Mississippi
took the team title with a three-round
total of nine-under-par 855, beating
Texas-Arlington by 4 strokes, Mis-
sissippi State by 10, and Louisiana-
Iafayette and Rice by 23.
"[After this tournament], we
finally believe ... we're the team to
beat," freshman Kyle Kelley said. "If
we play our game the best we can, we
[can| win hands-down."
The Owls' team score of 878 was
the lowest score by Rice golfers
in a three-round tournament since
September 2002. Rice's final-round
289 tied for the lowest score in the
final round and pushed the Owls up
five positions in the team standings,
past crosstown rival UH, which
finished three strokes behind Rice
in seventh.
The Owls were led by Kelley
— who carded a final-round-low, five-
under 67 to close the tournament at
three-over 219, tying for 23rd place.
"I was [feeling] a little pressure
from [head coach Drew Scott],
because I hadn't been putting up
the numbers," Kelley said. "I hadn't
been playing that well this year, and
he encouraged me."
In contrast to many of Rice's tour-
naments earlier in the fall, the team
members' scores were very close.
Sophomore Addison Awe finished
a stroke behind Kelley in a tie for
30th and sophomore Jeff Krakowiak
finished one stroke behind Awe in a
tie for 34th.
Senior Parker LaBarge finished
just behind the underclassmen in a
tie for 47th at eight-over 224. Kelley
said LaBarge—the only upperclass-
man on the team — has been a vocal
leader.
"Parker has been... setting goals,
taking on his fair share of everything
that needs to be done and pushing us
in the right direction," Kelley said.
Freshman Kaz Hoffman was
hampered by a final-round 82, which
dropped him into a tie for 72nd.
Rice will wrap up its fall season
Nov. 7-9 at the Battle on the Bend,
hosted by the University of Louisiana-
Lafayette in Many, La.
Tiilsa scores two late first-half TDs,
cruises to 41-21 win over football
by Adam Tabakin
THRESHER STAFF
Despite giving up three touch-
downs in the second quarter and los-
ing 41-21 to the University ofTulsa,
the football team had an improved
defensive showing last Saturday in
its first game under new defensive
coordinator Charlie Rizzo.
Following a fourth consecutive
lackluster defensive performance
in a 41-28 loss to East Carolina
University Oct. 8, head coach Ken
Hatfield promoted Rizzo — also
linebackers coach — to bring more
intensity to the defense. Hatfield
demoted former defensive coor-
dinator Roger Hinshaw to safeties
coach. Rice (0-5, 0-3 Conference
USA) responded by allowing the
fewest yards it had all season
against Tulsa (4-3, 3-1).
"Coach Rizzo stressed together-
ness this week and us playing as a
team, and we really focused on that
all week," sophomore defensive
tackle George Chukwu said. "In
the past we'd make tackles and we
wouldn't be excited, but this game
we really brought it."
Chukwu and freshman cornerback
Brandon King made the first starts of
their collegiate careers, while junior
defensive end Courtney Gordon made
his first start of the season.
Playing their first game at Rice
Stadium since Nov. 6, 2004, the
Owls started quickly, as junior free
safety Andray Downs returned the
opening kickoff 34 yards to the Rice
42-yard-line. After the Owls moved
the ball to the Tulsa 14, sophomore
quarterback Joel Armstrong had a
touchdown run called back because
of an illegal chop block. Rice failed
to score on the possession.
"Once again we were our own
worst enemy," Hatfield said.
After Tulsa and Rice traded pos-
sessions without scoring, the Gold-
en Hurricane moved 88 yards in 12
plays over 6 minutes, 33 seconds to
take a 7-0 lead on a touchdown run
by running back Uril Parrish. After
Parrish scored again with 1:20 left
in the first half, the Owls fumbled
the kickoff, giving Tulsa the ball in
excellent field position.
For the second time in as many
weeks, the Rice defense allowed a
touchdown in the final minute of
the first half after ineffective spe-
cial teams play gave the opposing
offense a short field. As a result,
instead of going into halftime trail-
ing by 14 points, the Owls found
themselves down 21-0.
Tulsa outscored Rice 13-7 in the
third quarter and mounted a drive
early in the fourth quarter after
starting at its own one yard line, be-
fore King returned an interception
41 yards for a touchdown. King's
interception was the second Owl
takeaway of the season and the first
of his career.
"Our defense was in three-deep,
and I knew all game it was cutting
off the deep route," King said. "I
just knew when he was running
around that it was coming, and I
broke on it."
The excitement was short-lived,
however. Tulsa receiver Ashlan
Davis returned the ensuing kickoff
for a touchdown, his second in two
years against Rice and the sixth of
his career, tying an NCAA record.
Rice responded with a third
touchdown drive, capped off by
a one-yard touchdown run from
sophomore fullback John Wall — his
second of the game — to end the
scoring at 41-21.
While the end result was an-
other loss, the uptick in defensive
intensity provided a glimmer of
hope for the rest of the season.
Four of the Owls' next five games
are at home.
"I thought the crowd was great,"
Hatfield said. 'They want to see us
be successful, and they hurt when
[we aren't]."
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Obermeyer, Amber. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 93, No. 9, Ed. 1 Friday, October 21, 2005, newspaper, October 21, 2005; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443146/m1/17/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.