Tiger cross country teams looking good

With a near perfect performance from the men’s cross country team and another solid outing from the women’s runners, the Cowley College cross country teams continued to look in midseason form while competing at the Friends University Invite at Lake Afton on Friday.

The Tiger men’s team dominated the field with a team score of 17 (only two points from a perfect score) and the women finished second to only Big 12 program Oklahoma State University.

The teams had their first test of the 2007 season at the normal race distance of 8,000-meters (5 miles) for the men and 5,000-meters (3.1 miles) for the women.

“It was a good start for us on the longer courses,” Cowley head coach Mark Phillips said.

The Cowley men, ranked fifth in the NJCAA Division I rankings, had six of the top-eight finishers at the meet, including the race winner in Daniel Maina (25:10). Sophomore Brett Koehn (26:56) also stood out as he ran nearly a minute faster than he did on the same course last year and placed seventh.

“When Brett first came here he was not running anywhere near where he is now,” Phillips said.

Irene Kosgei led the Lady Tigers by placing second with a time of 19:32. Jessica McLeod (20:28) and Ashley Cronin (20:31) also ran well as they placed eighth and ninth, respectively.

The Lady Tigers are ranked sixth in the latest NJCAA Division I poll.

Cowley will not compete again until the Oklahoma Baptist University Invitational Sept. 22 in Shawnee, Okla.

“OBU will be probably one of the fastest courses we will run on all year,” Phillips said. “We will face a lot tougher competition than we did at Friends.”

Cowley women’s results: (2) Irene Kosgei, 19:32; (8) Jessica McLeod, 20:28; (9) Ashley Cronin, 20:31; (22) Christy Buller, 22:22; (36) Bethany Schmidt, 22:33; (55) Janee’ Gabbard, 23.38; (56) Kari Rinehart, 23.39; (61) Hannah Burr, 23.55.

Women’s team scores: (1) Oklahoma State University, 66; (2) Cowley, 72; (3) Kansas Wesleyan University, 72; (4) Southwestern College, 82; (5) Friends University, 121; (6) Tabor College, 137; (7) Newman University, 196; (8) Hutchinson Comm. College, 217; (9) McPherson College, 222; (10) Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 248; (11) Bethany College, 297; (12) Pratt and Central Christian, no team score.

Cowley men’s results: (1) Daniel Maina, 25:10; (2) Stanley Mugo, 25:38; (3) Jonathan Cherono, 26:20; (4) John Purvis, 26:34; (7) Brett Kohen, 26:56; (8) Mauricio Morales, 27:03; (20) Gilbert Manzanares, 27:52; (23) Justin Cacaro, 28:46; (29) Harrison Philp, 29:10; (38) Dakota Price, 29:29; (44) Tristan Wall, 29:52.

Men’s team scores: (1) Cowley College, 17; (2) Southwestern College, 56; (3) Hutchinson Comm. College, 111; (4) Newman University, 117; (5) Friends University, 140; (6) Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 179; (7) Coffeyville Comm. College, 187; (8) Tabor College, 212; (9) Bethany College, 227; (10) Central Christian, 260 (11) McPherson, Pratt, Kansas Wesleyan, no team score.