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Cross country teams ready for Pac-10 championships

The UA men's and women's cross country teams will head to USC this weekend for the first of the three "championship" style meets.

The Pacific 10 Conference championship meet will take place at El Dorado Regional Park tomorrow. The men's 8,000-meter race begins at 11 a.m., while the women's 5,000-meter race follows at noon.

The Wildcats will be competing against the top teams in the conference such as Stanford, Washington, Oregon and Arizona State.

"Stanford is the team we are going after," sophomore Tom Prindiville said. "I think we have a good shot at winning."

Leading on the men's team will be senior Micheil Jones, who has consistently been running in the No. 1 spot for the men's team.

He placed fifth at the Pre-NCAA Invitational that was held Oct. 16 in Bloomington, Ind.

Jones is followed by junior David Lopez and sophomore Steve Smith, who have been solid in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.

Running alongside them will be seniors Jeremy Lyon and Brent Pederson, and sophomores Mike Cramer and Prindiville.

As for the women, sophomore Tara Chaplin will be leading the team, while junior Katrin Engelen, sophomores Erin Doherty and Jennifer Burris, as well as freshmen Mandee Ash and Kimberly Bates will be running in the race.

"We are not as strong on the women's side in the years' past," UA head coach Dave Murray said in a recent press release. "Without Kristen (Parrish, who is out with a stress fracture in her leg), we are going to be running a very young team."

Parrish did not run in the Pre-NCAA Invitational and was hurt during the Stanford Invitational as well on Oct. 2.

"She has a stress fracture and is out for the rest of the season," sophomore Tara Chaplin said. "She ran at Stanford, but was hurt. We have been trying to work more as a team now. It is a totally new team, so we just have to learn how to run as a team without her."

Senior Maia Wright is also questionable for the race because her leg has been bothering her. She is listed as day-to-day, but it will depend on how she feels today whether or not she will run.

"I may or may not run, it depends how my leg feels in the morning," Wright said yesterday. "Everyone is really focused on a great performance at regionals. Obviously Pac-10's important, but everyone is focused on regionals and making nationals."

Murray thinks the Wildcats will have a good showing, despite various injuries plaguing the team.

"I think we will be in the top four. The course does not have a bump on it, so I think it is going to favor the speed runners," Murray said.