Terriers Sweep Conference Cross Country Titles

10/29/2000

Sophomore Bolpar Vinh (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) and freshman Jochen Dieckfoss (Tubingen, Germany) won the individual titles and sparked the Terrier women's and men's cross country teams, respectively, to the America East team championships hosted by the University of Delaware on Oct. 28.

For the Terrier women, it marked their fifth straight America East title and 10th in the last 11 years. In the meantime, the men won their 10th title in 12 years but their first since 1997.

The women placed five of the top nine runners en route to 25 points.

It marked the first time in the 12-year history of the women's championship that the race was run at 6,000 meters to coincide with the NCAA's decision to change its championship distance for 5,000 to 6,000 meters this season.

Vinh responded with a time of 21:59.59, or an average of 5:53 per mile. University of Vermont's Michele Palmer was second in 22:20.69, or 5:59 a mile.

Junior Lauren Matthews (Brookline) was the second Terrier to finish, as she took third in 22:27.46, or an average of 6:01 per mile.

Next, in order, came senior captain Alicia Heisel (Buffalo, MN), who was fifth in 22:43.61, or 6:05 per mile; freshman Tara Johnson (Philadelphia, PA), seventh in 22:51.76, or 6:07 a mile; and junior Jennifer Kehoe (London, Ontario, Canada), ninth in 23:01.97, or 6:10 a mile.

Junior Emily Hawkins (Spokane, WA) also ran for the Terriers and finished 24th in 24:18.96, but her score did not count toward the team's score.

On the men's side, the Terriers finished first, second, fourth, fifth, and 15th to end up with 27 points.

Dieckfoss ran a 25:01.47 or an average of 5:02 per mile, as his time was the ninth fasted in the 13-year history of the men's championship, which is run at 8,000 meters.

Junior Frederik Naalsund (Ski, Norway) finished just behind Dieckfoss in 25:10.81, or an average of 5:03 per mile.

Junior captain Jason Borbet (Smithtown, NY) was fourth in 25:10.81, or 5:08 a mile, while sophomore Paul Morrice (Auckland, NZ) was fifth in 25:39.23, or 5:09 a mile. The final Terrier to figure in the team scoring was sophomore Liam Revell (Belleville, Ontario, Canada), who was 15th in 26:15.24, or 5:16 a mile.

Junior Paul Ryan (Waltham, VT) was 18th in 26:27.25 and junior John Wiley (Palo Alto, CA) was 23rd in 26:40.88, but their scores did not figure into the team scoring.

Women's Team Scoring

1.  Boston University                25
2.  New Hampshire                  54
3.  Vermont                             73
4.  Maine                                80
5.  Delaware                            111
6.  Towson                              198
7.  Northeastern                       207
8.  Hofstra                               222
9.  Hartford                              264

Men's Team Scoring

1. Boston University                27
2. Maine                                 62
3. New Hampshire                   77
4. Delaware                              90
5. Vermont                              140
6. Northeastern                        158
7. Towson                               215
8. Hofstra                                230
9. Hartford                               284