Oct. 29, 2005

Women's C-USA Championship Results
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Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Conference USA newcomer Rice captured the 2005 Cross Country Championships in the women's team competition on Saturday at the races hosted by UCF at the DISNEY WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS® Complex. UAB's Elizabeth Ambrus (17:02.95) captured the individual competition in the women's 5K race with a strong final push to the finish line.

The women's individual race along with the team race were much closer as Ambrus caught Rice's Kate Gorry in the final 100 meters to earn the top spot as she set a personal best in 17:02.95. Gorry finished just over a second behind in 17:04.17, but helped lead the 24th-ranked Owls to the team title with 46 points. UAB was second with 57 points and SMU placed third with 86 points.

In the first 6k event of the season, seniors Jessica Collins (17:58.70) and Caitlin Littlefield (18:42.94) continued to lead the way for the Lady Pirates with twelfth and thirtieth place finishes respectively. As a team East Carolina posted a seventh place finish with 209 points and a total time of 1:35:39.86.

A pair of Rice teammates joined Gorry in the Top Five as sophomores Callie Wells took third (17:14.47) and Marissa Daniels placed fifth overall (17:22.30). SMU's Rachael Forish also earned All-C-USA first team honors with a fourth-place finish in 17:18.32.

UAB's Jakia Williams was named C-USA Female Freshman-of-the-Year for being the top rookie finisher in the field. Williams, who is the second straight Blazer to earn Freshman-of-the-Year honors, placed 13th overall and earned All-C-USA third-team honors with a time of 18:02.11.

Rice's Jim Bevan was named the 2005 C-USA Female Coach-of-the-Year in a vote taken by the league coaches following the race.

East Carolina will host the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on November 12th at the Overton's Lake Kristi course. Lake Kristi, the site of each NCAA Southeast Regional Championships dating back to the 2002 season, serves as the home course for ECU cross country.

Top East Carolina Finishers
Jessica Collins (17:58.70)
Caitlin Littlefield (18:42.94)
Hayley Flynn (19:22.88)
Megan Walling (19:24.27)
Aisha Bilal-Mack (20:11.07)
Erinn Latta (21:21.04)

2005 Women's 5K Results: 1. Rice (46), 2. UAB (57), 3. SMU (86), 4. Tulsa (101), 5. Southern Miss (145), 6. Memphis (152), 7. UTEP (181), 8. East Carolina (209), 9. UCF (227), 10. Houston (280), 11. Marshall (284).

2005 Conference USA Cross Country Awards

WOMEN'S AWARDS

Individual Champion: Elizabeth Ambrus, UAB

First Team All-Conference: Elizabeth Ambrus (UAB), Kate Gorry (Rice), Callie Wells (Rice), Rachael Forish (SMU), Marissa Daniels (Rice).

Second Team All-Conference: Daniele Riendeau (Memphis), Jessica Jackson (SMU), Fatimoh Muhammed (UTEP), Lise Olivier (Tulsa), Elizabeth Hilligoss (UAB).

Third Team All-Conference: Breanna Chipney (Tulsa), Jessica Collins (East Carolina), Jakia Williams (UAB), Naomi Kiprotich (Southern Miss), Whitey Mays (UAB).

Freshman of the Year: Jakia Williams, UAB.

Coach of the Year: Jim Bevan, Rice.