Oct. 3, 2000

MILWAUKEE - The UWM men's and women's cross country teams get two full weeks to prepare for the Iowa State Memorial Classic, scheduled for Sat., Oct. 14, in Ames, Iowa. The race marks the first longer distance run of the season, with the women's race following a 6K course, and the men's course measured at 10K.

Last Week's Team Results: The Panther women finished second at the Central Collegiate Cross Country Championships, hosted by Central Michigan University. The men finished fifth.

Individual Highlights: On the women's side, junior Liz Pesch claimed fourth place, crossing the finish line in 18:47. Sophomore Abby Hurst finished just a step behind Pesch in fifth. Junior Tricia Pozel finished ninth. On the men's side, senior Aaron Nodolf captured a seventh place finish in 25:21.

MCC Honors: With his strong run Friday, Nodolf was honored as the MCC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week. Nodolf easily bettered his time of 26:57 at the Pre-Conference meet in Green Bay. The conference honor is the second of the season for Nodolf, an MCC all-conference runner in 1999. Nodolf's performance also showed why he's the captain of the young Panther men's squad. Nodolf is the lone senior on a team with three juniors, four sophomores, and three freshman. Two other veterans - juniors Pat Harrington and Eric Jelinski - both placed in the top 40.

Freshman Strength: The Panther women returned a strong squad with experience for this season, but a number of freshman have stepped in to play key roles. Friday at Central Michigan, freshman Alison Shattuck finished 13th, freshman Karen Brisky finished 21st, and freshman Natalie Miko was 22nd.

National Opportunity: The trip to Ames gives the Panthers an opportunity to see the course that will host the NCAA Championships in November. The course has been kind to the Panthers in the past. In 1995, UWM runner Chad Zehms qualified for the NCAA Championships there, making him the first UWM student-athlete in any sport to qualify for an NCAA individual championship.

Still To Come: Following the meet in Ames, the Panthers again get two weeks to prepare for the MCC Championships in Green Bay, Wis. Last year, both the Panther men's and women's teams finished fourth.