Cross Country teams out-race Sun Devils to invitational titles

The Arizona men's and women's cross country teams both won at the ASU Invitational meet over the weekend at Kiwanis Park in Tempe. Both Wildcats squads edged out intrastate rival Arizona State for the team titles.

On the women's side, senior Beth Hoge captured the individual title with a time of 18:20.5 in the 5,000-meter race and junior Ashley Steen was the next Wildcat to cross the finish line in fifth at 18:55.8. In all, Arizona had five of the top 10 finishers to be the low scoring team with 21 points.

The men's team captured the team title without the services of its top runner, Robert Cheseret. Cheseret was held out of the meet to focus on training.

Freshman Mohamed Trafeh led Arizona with a fourth-place 25:23.8 finish in the 8,000-meter race and freshman Chris Ogle was the only other Wildcat to finish in the top-10 with a 10th place finish.

Both teams travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the Pre-NCAA Invitational on Saturday. This meet will be held at the same venue as the NCAA Championship and will be a tune up course against several national contenders.

- From staff and wire reports

Former UA golfer Chris Nallen wins debut tournament, sets new record

Former Arizona men's golfer Chris Nallen won his Nationwide Tour debut this weekend in Chandler capturing the Gila River Classic at Wild Horse Pass Resort and earning $76,500 in the process.

Nallen, a four-time All-American who completed his Arizona career with the lowest stroke average in school history, dominated the field winning by eight strokes, the highest margin of victory on the Nationwide Tour this season.

Nallen shot rounds of 60, 66, 67 and 71, going wire-to-wire to win the Classic after qualifying for it just three days earlier in a qualifying event and becoming the first player in the 15-year history of the Nationwide Tour to earn a tournament spot on Monday in his first appearance and then win the event leading start to finish.

The former Wildcat posted eight birdies and two eagles on way to an opening day 60, which is the lowest debut round in Tour history and the third lowest round ever, in fact, his three-day 193 was the lowest 54-hole score in Tour history.

- From staff and wire reports

Men's golf garners No. 13 ranking

The Arizona men's golf team fell on spot to a No. 13 national ranking in the Precept Coaches Poll last Thursday.

The Wildcats received 363 points in the Golf Coaches Association of America poll and were one of five Pacific 10 Conference teams ranked. Oklahoma toped the poll.

The Wildcats' next tournament will be the Pac-10/Big Ten Challenge in Bandon, Ore., Oct. 25-26.

Three Wildcat Softball players named to University Games team

Three Arizona softball players were named to the roster for the World University Games for Softball last week.

Junior pitcher Alicia Hollowell, sophomore centerfielder Caitlin Lowe and sophomore shortstop Kristie Fox are among 16 collegiate players who will compete against a 10-country field in the Oct. 26-31 event in Plant City, Fla.

The trio becomes part of the USA Women's Elite Team with the selection.