Nov. 13, 2004
PEORIA, Ill. - The No. 9 nationally-ranked Missouri women's cross country team won the NCAA Midwest Regional team title Saturday at Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill. The Tiger women won their fifth regional title in nine years and qualified for their 10th NCAA Championship in 11 years with their best regional score since 1981. The women were led by Serena Ramsey and Jill Petersen and all five scorers earned All-Region honors. The Tiger men finished sixth, with Tim Ross and Matt Noonan placing eighth and ninth, respectively, and now will have to await word on a possible individual automatic or at-large bid into the NCAA Championships.
The women's team was led by seniors Serena Ramsey and Jill Petersen in the six-kilometer race. Ramsey (Waukesha, Wisc.) came back from 20th place at the half-way point to place fifth, breaking her personal best by 30 seconds with a time of 20:38. Petersen came next in sixth place, running also for a large personal best at 20:46. Valerie Lauver (Allen, Texas) earned her third all-time All-Region honor with a 13th place finish. Amanda Bales (Bettendorf, Iowa) and Kristin Hansen (Milford, Iowa) rounded out the Tiger scoring in 15th and 18th - all five Tiger scorers earned All-Region honors. Hansen nearly shaved a minute off her personal best, crossing the line in 21:15. Maddie Schueler (Louisville, Ky.) and Kate Greer (Marshalltown, Iowa) were the sixth and seventh Tigers, placing 29th and 47th, respectively.
The women's team score of 52 is the best for a Missouri team at regionals since 1981, when the Tigers won the first of their six region titles. Of the over 350 schools that participate in NCAA Cross Country, only 31 advance to the NCAA Championship, a feat that the Mizzou women have now accomplished 10 times in the past 11 years dating back to 1995. No. 16 Illinois placed second with 93 points, earning an automatic spot to the NCAA Championships, and No. 26 Oklahoma State placed third with 113, possibly becoming an NCAA at-large bid.
The men's team finished sixth of 21 teams with 177 points in the 10-kilometer race (6¼ miles), improving on their 2003 seventh-place finish. Juniors Tim Ross and Matt Noonan led the way placing in eighth and ninth, respectively. Both finishes are good enough for a chance at a possible automatic or at-large individual birth to the NCAA Championships. The NCAA Track & Field Committee will decide late Monday evening on the final championship field. Ross (Alto, Mich.), for the second year in a row, led the Tigers with his eighth place finish coming across the line at 30:54, a personal best. Noonan (Baldwin City, Kan.) earned All-Region honors for the first time in his career with his top 10 finish, improving from his 34th place finish in 2003. Noonan surged from 18th place in the final 2,000 meters to finish ninth. Senior Josh Davis (Liberty, Mo.) came third for the Tigers with in 41st place. Rem Moll and Chase Hall rounded out scoring for the men.
The Minnesota men won their first title since 2001. Oklahoma State placed second to earn an automatic birth.
Also determined by the NCAA Regionals are the selections of the Academic All-America team. The USTCA selects the team by any runner placing in the top 10 percent of the region coupled with a 3.2 cumulative GPA. Four women and two Tiger men will earn Academic All-America team honors as a result.
The NCAA Championships will be held next Monday, November 22 in Terre Haute, Ind. The women's team automatically qualified for the event and Tiger men Tim Ross and Matt Noonan will find out on this Monday, November 15 about their post-season fate. For more information and complete results, visit ncaasports.com or mutigers.com.