The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Cross Country Team Runs Saturday In C-USA Championships
10/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 27, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The UAB cross country team will run in Saturday's Conference USA Championships in Greenville, N.C. without its top runner, but Blazers' head coach Ray Stanfield still feels his team can contend for the title because of its depth.
Elizabeth Ambrus, who won the 2005 C-USA individual title, is out with a foot injury, but the Blazers have four other runners who finished among the top 20 runners in the meet a year ago.
"We've got depth and we've felt that was a strength for us throughout the season," said Stanfield, whose team placed second to Rice in the 2005 league meet, "I think any of our eight runners can be a factor in this race. When you lose a runner the caliber of Elizabeth, you know it will be felt, but when I look at the race and try to compare results from this fall, I think we'll be right up there.
"No matter which I look at it," said Stanfield, "I can't see anything that puts us out of the hunt."
UAB junior Elizabeth Hilligoss, a two-time all-conference recipient, finished 10th in the standings last fall and should be among the leaders Saturday. Jakia Williams was 13th last season and was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year. Whitney Mays is another Blazer runner whom Stanfield feels could be in the mix Saturday. Mays placed 15th last year. He also believes senior Jennifer Thompson, who was 18th in 2005, can improve her position from a year ago.
Senior Ryanne Fortney and a pair of freshmen, Kendel Hood and Kristina Olsen, will fill out the UAB roster for Saturday's competition.
Stanfield said he expects Rice and SMU, who finished first and third, respectively, in the C-USA meet last October, to again be among the frontrunners, along with his UAB squad.
The Blazers have won four meets this fall and earlier this season, received top 25 votes in the weekly national poll.
The 5K race will be run Saturday at Lake Kristi and will start at 10:30 a.m. ET.
