Chang helps UH cross country team place seventh in WAC
By Casey McGuire-Turcotte
Special to The Advertiser
University of Hawai'i junior Victoria Chang finished third and the Rainbow Wahine placed seventh in the 10-team field of the Western Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships yesterday at Norbuck Park in Dallas.
Chang, a 2000 graduate of Punahou who transferred from Stanford this year, finished the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 42 seconds to earn first-team all-conference honors.
Southern Methodist's Karin van Rooyen, the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2001, won yesterday in 17:01. SMU junior Emily Field was second in 17:20. Chang was followed by Texas-El Paso junior Corine van Beek (17:56) and Nevada junior Emma Garrard (18:02).
Rice won the women's team title with 68 points. Defending champion Tulsa finished second with 85, followed by Nevada (87), UTEP (93) and SMU (95). Hawai'i had 158 points.
"We had hoped for a top-three team finish, so this should be a motivator for the ladies as we prepare for the NCAA West Regional in two weeks," said UH head cross country coach Carmyn James. "Our top seven runners will make the final trip to Stanford, and we think the conditions will be a little more suitable for us."
The temperature yesterday was in the upper-40s, there was light rain and the course was muddy.
James said freshman Hanna Bremler, who has been within five places of Chang throughout the season, was "a little under the weather" after battling abdominal pains before and during the race. She finished in 19:06 for 24th.
Jennifer Crumley (34th, 19:29), Robin McRobbie (47th, 20:03) and Teryn Bentley (50th, 20:14) also scored for Hawai'i.
In the men's race, UTEP senior Bashar Ibrahim repeated as individual champion, covering the 8K course in 24:24. SMU's Mindi Pukstas was a close second in 24:29, followed by Andy Norman of Tulsa in 24:56.
Host SMU placed five runners in the top nine to win the eight-team competition with 30 points. UTEP was second with 63, followed by Tulsa (71), Boise State (85) and Fresno State (110).
The Rainbow Wahine head to the 6K Western Regional meet, hosted by Stanford on Nov. 16. Qualifiers will then compete in the national championships in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 25.
