The Georgetown University men's cross country team, ranked seventh in the country, opened up the 2000 season by winning the Great American Cross Country Festival held on Sept. 23, at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, N.C. The Hoyas scored 38 points to take home the team championship, besting a field of 21 teams. North Carolina State was second with 48 points, #18 Michigan State was third with 62, Duke fourth with 72, and Virginia Tech earned fifth place with 217 points.

Georgetown placed three runners in the top ten, including the first and second spots. Senior David Rodriguez (Fremont, Calif./Mission San Jose) won the 8K race in 24:18.3, followed closely by sophomore Mike Smith (Princeton, Mass/Wachusetts) in second place in 24:20.5. Senior Corey Smith (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack) crossed the finish line in sixth place with a mark of 24:25.8. Senior Kyle Smits (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) rounded out the Hoyas' top 20 finishers with a 14th-place showing in 24:40.0. Senior Matt Dunn (Greentown, Pa.Wallenpaupack) turned in a time of 24:58.3 for 21st place.

GU also sent a "B" team to compete at the Inter-Regional/Colonial Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, September 23, at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. The Hoyas scored 109 points to earn fourth place (out of 10 teams participating). St. Joseph's won the meet with 48 points. William & Mary was second with 61, and North Carolina claimed third with 64. Virginia took fifth with 114 points.

Junior Tom Howell (Cary, N.C./Apex Senior) and senior Brad Stapleton (San Carlos, Calif./Junipero Serra) were the Hoyas' top finishers at the meet. Howell and Stapleton were 14th and 15th with times of 25:50.6 and 25:54.0 on the 8K course. Freshman Brad Barker's (Omaha, Neb./Westside) time of 26:19.1 was good for 20th, while sophomore George O'Loughlin (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) was 25th in 26:28.0. Freshman Dan Swift (Marietta, Ga./Marietta) rounded out the GU point scorers with a 37th-place finish (26:47.5).