Tiger Sports

October 22, 2007

Giving some of its runners a final opportunity to compete before the Region VI/Jayhawk Conference Championships next Monday, the Cowley College cross country teams ran split squads at the Butler County Ollie Isom Invite Friday in
El Dorado.

The Tiger cross country teams competed without several of its top runners as the women’s team placed second and the men’s team finished third.

“We used it for a tune up for the Region VI meet and a make-up for those that missed meets during the season,” Cowley head coach Mark Phillips said. “It was a small meet and a chance to get in another race for some of the team.”

Jeniffer Cherono led the Lady Tiger runners at the meet by finishing third with a time of 12:05.68. Competing without its top-five runners, Tristan Wall was the top men’s placer as he finished 11th with a time of 16:55.98.

The Tiger cross country teams will now prepare to host the Region VI/Jayhawk Conference Championships next Monday at Camp Quaker Haven. The men’s race will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the women’s race will follow at 12:15 p.m.

The Tiger men, ranked third in the NJCAA cross country poll, will look to defend its conference title and make a run at the region title.

“This might be the best group I have been around,” Phillips said. “If we’re healthy and run our race we should do well.”

The Lady Tigers have a bit of a gap between its top runners and runners at the bottom of the lineup and will be battling top-ranked Butler Community College and Johnson County in the conference and region.

“Our ladies are going to have to run one kind of a race to beat Johnson County and Butler,” Phillips said.

Cowley sophomore Irene Kosgei, who has won three races in a row, will battle Colby’s Betty Rotich in the women’s race. The Tiger’s Daniel Maina, the defending conference and region champion, will get a tough test from Cloud County’s Julius Bor.

Both Rotich and Bor finished first at the Ollie Isom Invite.

Phillips is looking forward to the meet.

“Getting to host with a team like this is going to be really fun,” Phillips said.

Cowley men’s results: (11) Tristan Wall, 16:55.98; (13) Gilbert Manzanares, 17:05.14; (19) Justin Cacaro, 17:26.97; (22) Rolando Vasquez, 17:39.79; (27) Harrison Philp, 18:00.49.

Cowley women’s results: (3) Jeniffer Cherono, 12:05.68; (13) Jessica McLeod, 12:38.16; (20) Janee’ Gabbard, 13:49.71; (25) Kari Rinehart, 14:24.40; (26) Dawn Zimmerman, 14:24.77; (29) Hannah Burr, 14:34.21.

Men’s team scores: (1) Butler, 27; (2) Cloud, 47; (3) Cowley, 67; (4) Coffeyville, 92; (5) Pratt and Wichita State “B”, no team scores.

Women’s team scores: (1) Butler, 30; (2tie) Cowley, 53; (2tie) Colby, 53; (4) Cloud, Pratt, and Wichita State “B”, no team scores.