Cross Country team in good shape for first meet of season

Ryan A. Mihalyi Arizona Daily Wildcat Wildcat cross country runner junior Amy Skieresz (center) prepares for tomorrow's Jammin' Invitational meet in Brea, California. Skieresz was last year's NCAA cross country champion.

Just ask the Arizona men's cross country team.

Last season the men had so many injuries and illnesses that they did not even make it to the NCAA Championships. This year, though, they're looking good, according to head coach Dave Murray.

"I'm excited," said Murray of the first meet of the season, the Jammin' Invitational, which begins tomorrow in Brea, Calif. "With all of our injuries and other problems last year, we're looking like we're in real good shape this year."

This season the women are also concerned with injuries, namely avoiding them.

"We're really hurting for girls," senior Virginia Camacho said in reference to the fact the women only have eight runners on the team, and only seven are going to the Jammin'. "Our success hinges on staying healthy, " she said.

Running for the women this weekend are seniors Camacho, Tone Bratteng and Kelly Chavez, junior Amy Skieresz, sophomores Maia Wright and Kristen Parrish, and freshman Erin Doherty.

Missing from the women's squad is freshman Katrin Engelen, who is still in her native Germany, where she is transferring from to come to UA. Engelen will arrive on Sunday and should be ready to compete in the Wildcats' next meet in two weeks.

Murray said he feels that the women are still looking good going into the Jammin' Invitational, though he doesn't hold any set expectations as to their eventual finish.

"The majority of our people are in good shape," Murray said. "The first meet of the season is a question meet, where we evaluate our level of fitness and where we're at as a team."

Murray has been especially impressed with his top-three runners, Skieresz, Camacho, and Parrish.

Camacho is "running better than ever before," according to Murray. "I think she's really going after the No. 2 spot."

Parrish is recovering from a foot injury that forced her to sit out all of the 1997 track and field season, but Murray said that she looks strong going into the meet.

As for Skieresz, last year's NCAA cross country champion, Murray said, "Amy is Amy. She's in great condition and ready to go."

As for the men, Murray thinks they're "much, much stronger as an overall team" as compared to last year.

The men will take nine runners to the Jammin' Invitational, led by senior Margarito Casillas. Also heading to California will be senior Jonathan Lansa, juniors Jeff McLarty and Abdi Abdirahman, sophomores Micheil Jones and Jeremy Lyon, and freshmen Brian Henstorpf, David Lopez and Tom Prindiville.

"I'm real pleased with the men," Murray said. "I think both of our teams have an opportunity to win this meet, but that's not our main concern."

Last year the Wildcats captured both the men's and women's titles. Skieresz is the defending individual champion for the women. Competition this year will come from host Cal-State Fullerton, plus Long Beach State, Fresno State, Cal-Irvine, and women's teams from UNLV and Southern Cal.