Sept. 9, 2003

DALLAS - Missouri sophomore Amanda Bales and Texas Tech sophomore Benson Cheserek have been named the Big 12 Cross Country Runners of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Bales (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley HS) won this past weekend's Missouri Cross Country Challenge in the 5k by 30 seconds (17:41.66) and helped earn her team a first place finish. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native helped Mizzou finish first above Division I opponents Illinois, Southern Illinois-Carbondale, and Southeast Missouri State. Bales scored her second win of her career at the meet, the other coming at the 2002 Lakefront Invitational after which Bales earned her first Big 12 Runner of the Week honor. After eight career meets, Bales has five top 10 finishes. Bales finished third at last year's NCAA Midwest Regional pacing the Tigers to a Midwest Region Championship.

Cheserek of Kenya won the UT-Arlington Invitational this past weekend. In his first run as a Red Raider, he posted a 20:26 over the four mile course. Cheserek led the Texas Tech team to a second place finish, one point behind SMU.

There are three Big 12 men's teams ranked in the preseason MONDO Cross Country Poll with Colorado No. 6, Texas No. 24, and Oklahoma State No. 25. Texas A&M is receiving votes in the first poll of 2003 on the men's side. In the FinishLynx Women's Cross Country Poll Colorado is fourth, Missouri 17th, Texas A&M 28th, and Baylor is receiving votes.

Big 12 Cross Country Runner(s) of the Week

Female Sept. 9 Amanda Bales, Missouri

Male Sept. 9 Benson Cheserek, Texas Tech

This Week in Big 12 Cross Country Friday, September 12 Iowa State hosts ISU Open (Ames, Iowa) Missouri at Bradley Open (Peoria, Ill.) 5:30pm

Saturday, September 13 Baylor, Oklahoma at North Texas Invitational (Denton, Texas) Kansas, Kansas State at Wildcat Invitational (KSU hosts, Topeka, Kan.) Texas at Texas State Invitational (San Marcos, Texas) Texas Tech at UNM Lobo Invite (Albuquerque, N.M.)