Nov. 19, 2005
Georgetown Cross Country NCAA Notes
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown men's and women's cross country teams will compete in the 2005 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship on Monday at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The men's race will begin at noon, while the women will start at 1:15 p.m.
The men's cross country team has qualified for its seventh-straight NCAA Tournament and 24th overall. The men's best finish was fourth place in 1965 and they have placed in the top-10 eight times.
The women's team returns to the NCAAs after failing to qualify last season. Prior to 2004, the Hoyas had appeared in 16 straight. This will be Georgetown's 19th appearance on the women's side, as they have 15 top-10 finishes, including three third-places, their best finish.
Georgetown cross country has been a fixture in the NCAA Division I national polls throughout the 2005 fall season. The men currently sit in ninth in the MONDO poll, while the women are 29th in the FinishLynx national poll.
Last weekend, the Hoyas qualified for the NCAA Championships with strong performances at the Mid-Atlantic Regional at Lehigh University. The men placed first at the event for the second-straight year, gaining an automatic bid to the NCAAs, while the women came in third and needed an at-large bid to compete in Terre Haute.
On the men's side, Georgetown had three top-10 finishers, including race-winner senior Fleet Hower (Marion, Va./Marion), who crossed with a time of 30:03.8. The women, who narrowly missed the automatic bid, finishing five points behind Villanova, were led by a fifth place finish by sophomore Maggie Infeld.
As a team, the Georgetown men posted a top-three finish in all five events on the season, including winning three. The Hoyas began the fall with wins at the Great Meadows and Paul Short Invitationals, followed by a third-place showing at the Pre-Nationals and a runner-up finish at the BIG EAST Championships.
Meanwhile, the women have three second place finishes in their six events. They began the year by crossing second in the Great Meadows, Paul Short and JMU Invitationals. Following a 19th place showing at the Pre-Nationals, the women bounced back at the BIG EAST to place fourth.
