Monday, November 4, 2002

FIU finishes in fourth and ninth place, respectively, in men's and women's cross country at the Sun Belt Conference Championships

IU finishes in fourth and ninth place, respectively, in men's and women's cross country at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Denton, TX.

For the second consecutive year, the University of Arkansas-Little Rock swept the Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championship team titles. By placing all five runners in the top seven positions, the Trojan men’s squad ran past the field with a total of 21 points. The Golden Panthers totaled 115 and narrowly edged out host North Texas (118) for fourth place.

UALR’s Brent Corbitt, the meet’s Most Outstanding Male Performer, took home
the individual title with a time of 25:43 over the 8,000-meter course. Jorge Palmerola was the Golden Panthers top finisher in 14th place at 27:41 and Mike Felsberg was right behind at 27:54.

Other FIU finishers include Elliott Mason, 27:58, Robbie Infante, 28:20, Joe Huston, 29:49 and Joe Mazzeo, 30:32.

The Arkansas-Little Rock women’s team finished with all five runners in the
top 10, grabbing 29 team points. FIU totaled 211 points for a ninth place finish.

Leah Thorvilson from Arkansas-Little Rock won the women’s individual title by covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:10, taking home the meet’s Most Outstanding Female Performer honors in the process.

FIU's top performer was Dalia Clarke who ended in 25th place at 25:20. After Clarke was Edda Santiago in 34th place at 26:08 and 43rd Jamilla Vargas with a time of 26:57.

Other FIU finishers include Mary Fomosa, 28:46, Dawn Selvidge, 29:39 and Jamella Mallick at 31:53.

Arkansas-Little Rock head coach Kirk Elias swept Coach of the Year honors for the second time in a row.