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MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS POST OUTSTANDING SEASONS

INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI men's and women's cross country teams are winding down their 2001 campaign as one of the most successful seasons to date.

Both teams combined veteran leadership with youth en route to third place finishes in the Mid-Continent Conference Championships held at Southern Utah University.

Senior Matt Schmitt turned in a superb season, which included being named Mid-Con Runner of the Week earlier in the season. His time of 24:53.70 was the second fastest 8K time in the Mid-Con this season. The Gibson Southern High School graduate was the top Jaguars finisher in every meet this season except for one. For his remarkable season, Schmitt was named first team all-conference.

Senior Russell Simon and junior Jeremy Tolan helped anchor the squad, as they were among the top three IUPUI finishers all season long. Sophomore Nate Dinges made great strides from his freshman year, becoming a consistent top five runner all season, while posting the team's fourth fastest 8K time of the season.

The future is bright for head coach Scott Williams as he had four freshmen this season, including Ryan Hopper and Josh Lantz, who each made solid contributions to the team.

On the women's side, sophomore Lyndsey Emerson was strong again and was named to the first team all-conference. Emerson caught fire late in the season, winning the last three races for the Jaguars, including setting a school record in the 6K at the Indiana State Invitationals.

Freshman Raquel Miller burst onto the scene early in the season, capturing the Jaguars' top spot in the first four races of the season. Miller posted the fifth best 5K time in school history with a fifth place finish at the Eastern Illinois Invitational.

Seniors Jackie Landess and Deanne Aavang concluded their careers with consistent performances all season long. Landess was consistently the Jaguars third finisher, while Aavang bounced in and out of the top five.

Freshmen Lacy Rex and Lyla Frederick and sophomore Andrea Jones all turned in solid efforts throughout the season, including Rex' 16th overall finish at the Mid-Con Championships. With stiff competition among the teammates for top five finishes, the team should improve quickly over the next few seasons.

With the upcoming Great Lakes Regional being held at Indiana State, some of the Jaguars still have an opportunity to build on their outstanding season.

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