The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
NCAA Regional Championships
Senior Paces Blazers Finish Fifth At South Regional Meet
11/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Nov. 10, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. ---- Senior Elizabeth Ambrus placed ninth and automatically qualified for the national championship as she led the UAB cross country team to a fifth place finish Saturday at the NCAA South Regional Championship hosted by the University of Florida.
Battling back from an illness earlier this season, Ambrus took the Blazers top spot with a time of 20:58.75 and qualified for the NCAA Championship on Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind.
"For her to be out three weeks and qualify for the national meet is one of the best stories of the year in collegiate cross country," head coach Ray Stanfield said. "To have no activity for three weeks and make the championship is outstanding. She absolutely willed herself into the national championship."
Stanfield was pleased with the team's performance and finishing ahead of instate schools Auburn and Samford as well as several Southeastern Conference schools. It was the second-highest finish at a regional meet in UAB history.
Seniors Elizabeth Hilligoss and Whitney Mays finished in 41st and 42nd place with times of 22:24.08 and 22:24.63 respectively. Freshman Stephanie Gammon placed 45th with a time of 22:27.78. Behind Gammon in 56th place was sophomore Kristina Olsen (22:49.30) and freshman Lacey Wright (24:04.90) who finished in 94th place.
"I thought we raced what we were capable of running," he said. "We almost snuck up on Tennessee to take fourth place but as a team I think we beat who we were supposed to beat. I thought Elizabeth Hilligoss had the best race of her season and Stephanie Gammon had a great race for a freshman."
No. 3-ranked Florida State won the team title with 40 points and automatically qualified for the national meet along with second-place finisher No. 29 Georgia. Susan Kuijken from Florida State won the individual title with a time of 20:19.01.
To qualify for the national meet as an individual, a runner must finish as one of the top seven runners not on one of the automatically- qualified teams. Ambrus earned the fourth overall individual qualifying spot and will be making her second trip to the national meet, and her first since 2005.
