Women’s cross country team wins second C-USA title

Women’s cross country team wins second C-USA title
 
FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

With a dominant team performance, the No. 16 Rice women finished 3-4-5-6-8 to win the Owls’ second Conference USA cross country crown in three years and break the league scoring record with 26 points Oct. 28 in El Paso.

JEFF FITLOW

As she has done all season, Jones College senior Marissa Daniels led the Rice pack, finishing third overall and completing the 5K course in 17:50.3. Allison Pye, a Martel freshman, beat Becky Wade, also a Martel freshman, as Pye finished fourth overall in 18:07.0. Wade took fifth-place in 18:20.1. All three Owls earned first team all-conference honors.

Three Owls also earned second-team honors for Rice, beginning with Sid Richardson senior Callie Wells, who was sixth in 18:22.2. Wiess sophomore and 2006 C-USA freshman of the year Nicole Mericle finished eighth in 18:26.5 to close out the Rice scoring. Brown College senior Lennie Waite finished 10th in the individual race with the time of 18:48.6.

Rice head coach Jim Bevan was named the C-USA women’s coach of the year at the meet. This past September he received the C-USA Coaches Choice Award.

Up next for the Owls is the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., Nov. 19. Rice currently ranks second in the region, which includes all NCAA Division I, schools in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Conference USA Championships — Rice Finishers
 
3. Marissa Daniels, 17:50.3

 4. Allison Pye, 18:07.0

 5. Becky Wade, 18:20.1

 6. Callie Wells, 18:22.2

 8. Nicole Mericle, 18:26.5

 10. Lennie Waite, 18:46.6

 22. Britany Williams, 19:12.6

 42. Frances Kellerman, 20:05.9

 51. Claire Shorall, 20:43.1

Conference USA — Team Finishes

 1. Rice, 26

 2. Tulsa, 54

 3. SMU, 105

 4. UAB, 118

 5. UTEP, 124

 6. Tulane, 152

 7. UCF, 196

 8. East Carolina, 214

 9. Memphis, 267

 10. Marshall, 274

 11. Houston 280

 12. Southern Miss, 302