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Cross country teams bring high expectations into 2000

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Men coming off Pac-10 championship, women finished 1999 5th

Following an outstanding 1999 campaign, the 2000 Arizona men's and women's cross country teams are looking to build on the success they experienced last season.

The teams have high expectations to meet.

Last season, the UA men's team finished first in the Pacific-10 Conference championships and 10th overall at the NCAA championships.

The women's team finished fifth in the Pac-10 and 27th at the NCAA championships.

The men's team, led by Pac-10 Coach of the Year Dave Murray, will enter 2000 without two of its top performers in Micheil Jones and Brent Pedersen, both of whom graduated.

The women's team, meanwhile, returns its top 5 finishers from last year.

Murray is excited about both teams' chances of competing for the Pac-10 title. The conference, which consists of national powerhouse Stanford, is among the toughest in the nation.

"I'm really excited about both teams," Murray said. "I think both teams will be real good."

The men will be led by senior David Lopez, Arizona's No. 2 runner for most of the 1999 season.

The Glendale, Calif., native will be joined by four juniors - Mike Cramer, Tom Prindiville, Steve Smith and Rick Weis.

The Wildcat women will be anchored by their top five runners from last season - juniors Tara Chaplin, Erin Doherty and Jennifer Burris will be joined by senior Katrin Engelen and sophomore Kimberly Bates.

Murray is optimistic about the women's chances.

"We have a very good group coming back," Murray said.

In addition to the core of returning runners for both squads, the teams will be joined by incoming reinforcements after a solid recruiting season.

"Recruiting-wise, we really have some good people coming in," Murray said. "Beth Hoge from Bismark, N.D, could run in the No. 2 spot."

On the men's side, Murray is expecting great things from incoming freshman Matt McInvale from Ramona, Calif.

McInvale will hope to buoy a team that upset a heavily favored Stanford squad last year to take the crown.

"We ran the perfect race and upset them," Murray said.

Wade Juntunen, a sophomore and former North Dakota state champion, is looking forward to the upcoming season.

"We're expecting to do well this season," Juntunen said. "Defending our Pac-10 title and making it back to nationals are two of the team's main goals."

The team will run in four invitationals before the post-season meets get underway.

The season starts on Sept. 9 with a meet at Purdue University and concludes the regular season on Oct. 14 with the Pre-NCAA Invitational in Ames, Iowa. Following the invitational, the teams will travel to the Pac-10 Conference Championships in Seattle and the NCAA West Regional in Fresno, Calif.

If the teams succeed at the two Invitationals, they move on to the NCAA Championships in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 20.