2006 EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RECAP

The 2006 Emory men's cross country team was a youthful squad that featured just two key contributing seniors on a 24-man roster.  While the youth and inexperience showed itself at various stages throughout the campaign, a number of bright prospects came through with outstanding efforts, promising to lay the groundwork for a solid future. 

The Eagles of Head Coach John Curtin took home one first-place finish, that coming at the Great American Cross Country Festival where it topped a 15-team field.  Emory saved its best team performance for the South/Southeast Region Championships where it recorded a third-place showing out of 21 squads, narrowly missing out on earning a bid to the NCAA Championships.

The Eagles were recognized by the National Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association as an All-Academic Team, posting a grade-point average of 3.41, 12th best among all NCAA Division III Schools.

Freshman Tommy Fyffe distinguished himself in his first season of competition and brought home University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors by virtue of his finish at the conference meet.  Fyffe finished among the Eagles' top five finishers in all six of his competitions highlighted by ranking as the team's No. 1 runner and fourth overall out of 152 entrants at the Region Championships, running the 8K course in a season-best time of 26:11.2.  Fyffe's showing that afternoon enabled him to earn one of two at-large bids awarded to Emory to the NCAA Division IIII Championships. 

Sophomore Vikram Srivastava, who made his mark as a freshman in 2005, continued his development and concluded the year by finishing among the squad's top five runners in all six of his competitions.  Srivastava earned the Eagles' other at-large NCAA Championships bid following his 13th-place effort overall at the Region Championships, crossing the line in 26:35.5

Senior Kile Krol closed out his career with a consistent season, finishing among the top five Eagle runners in four of his five competitions.  Krol, who paced Emory's effort at the Alabama Crimson Classic with a 26th-place finish out of 120 runners, ran a season-best 26:17 at the US-Oshkosh Invitational.  Krol earned All-Region honors after registering an 18th-place finish at the South/Southeast Region Championships.   

Rob Leventhal was the other Emory senior who capped off his career with top-five Eagle finishes in four of five events.  Leventhal's best finish was a ninth-place showing out of 109 competitors at the Great American Cross Country Festival. 

Junior Mike Rothbart enjoyed a fine season and set the stage for what appears to be an outstanding senior year.  Rothbart was Emory's top performer in two meets, the Great American Cross Country Festival and the UW-Oshkosh Invitational.  Rothbart's best time came at UW-Oshskosh (26:05) while his best finish came at the Great American with a sixth-place mark out of 109 harriers.

All-South/Southeast /Region
Tommy Fyffe                                                                Cincinnati, OH
Vikram Srivastava                                                        Chattanooga, TN
Kile Krol                                                                      Moline, IL
Bryan Forsyth                                                               Franklin, TN
Rob Leventhal                                                              Maitland, FL

All-UAA Rookie of the Year
Tommy Fyffe                                                                Cincinnati, OH

United States Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American
Bryan Forsyth
Tommy Fyffe

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY HONORED FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

(Feb. 27) The Emory University Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams have been honored as 2006 NCAA Division III All-Academic Teams.  In addition, five individual Eagles named NCAA III All-Academic honorees.

The Men's Cross Country Team recorded a team grade point average of 3.41, the 12th best of all NCAA Division III schools, and third best among University Athletic Association (UAA) institutions.  Two Emory men, junior Bryan Forsyth and freshman Tommy Fyffe, were individual All-Academic honorees.

The Women's Cross Country Team's grade point average of 3.48 was the 40th best among NCAA Division III institutions, and the third best in the UAA.  Individual Emory women honored include seniors Amy DiBianca, Jennifer Cronin and Julia Morton.

Nov. 27

EMORY UNIVERSITY'S TOMMY FYFFE AND VIKRAM SRIVASTAVA COMPETE AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS  

Emory University freshman Tommy Fyffe and sophomore Vikram Srivastava competed at the NCAA championships held at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio..

Fyffe finished 107th out of 279 competitors with a time of 28:36 over the 8k course.  Srivastava registered a 141st-place finish with a time of 28:55.

Nov. 11

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES THIRD AT NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL - QUALIFIES PAIR FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS  

The Emory University men's cross country team finished in third place out of 21 teams at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional and qualified a pair of individual runners for the NCAA Championships.  The Regional was held at Georgia Regional Hospital in Decatur.

Centre College and Rhodes College took home the top two spots in the race and earned the automatic bids to the national championships.  Centre finished with 54 points while Rhodes checked in with 63 points.  Emory concluded the race with 79 points.  Rounding out the top five was Mary Washington (162 pts.) and McMurry (184 pts.).

Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was Emory's top finisher with an 8K time of 26:11.2 that placed him fourth overall in the 152-runner field.  Sophomore Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA) turned in a solid effort, crossing the line in 13th place with a mark of 26:36.5.  By virtue of their finishes, both Fyffe and Srivastava earned trips to the NCAA Championships.  Senior Kile Krol (Moline, IL) ran the course in a time of 26:50.3 and recorded a 17th-place finish while junior Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) and senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) rounded out the team's scorers with 23rd and 24th place finishes, respectively.

The NCAA Championships will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Voice of America Park in Mason, Ohio.  Serving as host institution will be Wilmington College.

Nov. 9

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY HOSTS NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Emory University cross country program will serve as the host institution for the NCAA South/Southeast Regional this Saturday (Nov. 11) with the top two teams in both the men's and women's races earning automatic berths to the NCAA Championships.  The Regional Championships will be held at the Georgia Regional Hospital in nearby Decatur.  The men's 8K race begins at 11:00 a.m., with the women's 6K competition starting at noon.  A total of 25 men's teams will be competing while the women's competition will feature 29 squads.

The South/Southeast Regional is one of eight regionals being held across the country.  A total of 16 teams (top two teams from each region) in both the men's and women's competition will earn automatic berths while 16 squads will garner at-large berths.  In addition, seven runners from each region from teams who do not qualify will be selected for the NCAA Championships which will be held on Nov. 18 at Voice of America Park located in Mason, Ohio.

The Emory women's team, ranked 19th in the nation, is coming off a third-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships (Oct. 28) and looks to make a serious run at qualifying for the nationals. Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) earned All-UAA first-team honors following her seventh-place finish out of 74 runners. In addition to DiBianca's performance, junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) earned second-team All-UAA recognition with ninth and tenth-place finishes, respectively. Emory enters this year's Regional as the defending champion.  In 2005, the Eagles topped a 22-team field with 26 points as they had four runners finish among the top six overall.

The Eagles' men squad will be looking to rebound after an eighth-place finish at the conference championships.  Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) paced Emory's effort with a 25th-place finish in the 78-runner field.  Fyffe's effort enabled him to claim the league's Rookie of the Year Award.  Sophomore Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA) was Emory's No. 2 finisher and 29th overall.  Last year the men's team posted a third-place finish at the South/Southeast Regional.  Centre College captured first place.

Oct. 28

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES EIGHTH AT UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Emory University men's cross country team finished in eighth place at the 20th Annual University Athletic Association Championships held at Central Fields at Forest Park in St. Louis.

The Eagles finished with 173 points. No. 3-ranked New York University lived up to its billing as the team to beat with a first-place finish of 25 points.  Host Washington University and Brandeis tied for the runner-up spot with 86 points. Carnegie Mellon (104 pts.) and the University of Chicago (118 pts.) rounded out the top five.

Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was Emory's top runner, with an 8K time of 26:32.16, placing him 25th in the 78-runner field.  Sophomore Vikram Srivasta (Chattanooga, TN) recorded a 29th-place finish with a mark of 26:36.30 while junior Mike Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) came in 35th (26:49.67). Rounding out Emory's scorers were junior Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) and senior Kile Krol (Moline, IL).

Emory's next action will be on Saturday, November 11, when it hosts the NCAA South/Southeast Regional.

Oct. 25

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS GEAR UP FOR UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams head to Missouri when they compete at the 20th Annual University Athletic Association Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 28.  Hosted by Washington University, the men's 8K-race begins at 11:00 a.m. (CDT), followed by the women's 6K event at noon.  Both races will be held at Central Fields at Forest Park.

"It is going to be a great meet on both sides," Emory Head Coach John Curtin stated.  "There are going to be national-caliber programs competing and we are certainly looking forward to it.  I think that both our men's and women's team have yet run their best races and hopefully this weekend they will be able to do that."

The Emory women's team, ranked 18th nationally, will be attempting to break  Washington University's (ranked 3rd nationally) four-year reign as champion.  The Eagles have finished runner-up to the Bears in each of the past two championships and enter the weekend hoping to bring home the crown.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) and junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) finished fifth and 11th, respectively, in last year's competition en route to all-conference recognition. 

"Washington University enters the race as the cream of the crop but we are looking to put it together and give them a race," Curtin said.  "It is going to take contributions from all five runners to accomplish that."

The men's squad will be aiming to improve upon its seventh-place finish from a year ago. 
Sophomore Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA) led the Eagles' contingent with a 26th place, becoming the first freshman to lead the team at the UAA meet since 1996.   Carnegie Mellon enters this year's competition as defending champion but will be seriously challenged by No. 3-ranked New York University.

"I believe that our men's team will show improvement from a year ago," Curtin said.  "The guys have been training hard and are ready to step it up."

Oct. 14

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES 14th AT UW-OSHKOSH INVITATIONAL

The Emory University men's cross country team posted a 14th-place finish out of 18 teams at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational.  The Eagles finished with a team score of 376 points.  No. 1-ranked Calvin College took home first-place honors while No. 8-ranked New York University was runner-up with 69 points.

Junior Mike Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) came in 73rd in the 318-runner field, registering an 8K time of 26:05.  Senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) was the second Emory runner and 81st overall with a mark of 26:10.44. Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) and senior Kile Krol (Moline, IL) were the next two Eagles' finishers with times of 26:15.40, 92nd) and 26:17.68, 96th), respectively. Rounding out the Emory scorers was junior Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) at 26:40.14

 Emory's next action will be the University Athletic Association Championships in Saint Louis on Oct. 28.

Oct. 10

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT UW-OSHKOSH INVITATIONAL

The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams will pack their bags and head to Wisconsin when they compete at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational on Saturday (Oct. 14).  The men's 8K competition begins at 10:30 a.m. (CST) while the women's 6K race will begin at 11:15 a.m.  Both races will be held at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wisconsin.

Head Coach John Curtin and his squads have been pointing to this meet and the Eagles will race their top runners in both events. 

"This is a great opportunity for both teams to race against quality competition," Curtin said.  "We have been training hard and look to use this as a springboard to a strong second half of the season."

In its most recent action, the men's team came in fourth out of 13 teams at the Georgia State Invitational this past weekend.  Junior Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) led the Emory contingent with a second-place finish out of 104 runners, covering the 8K course in a time of 26:32.3.  Sophomore Luke Wetzel (Olathe, KS) posted a 10th-place finish with a time of 27:16.70.

The women's team holds down a No. 18 national ranking heading into the UW-Oshkosh competition.  At the Georgia State Invitational, the Eagles entered four contestants in the 105-runner field.  Sophomore Rebecca Willett (Mobile, AL) finished eighth with a 5K time of 20:16.04.  Senior Katie Parafinczuk (Derby, NY) posted a 15-th place performance (20:39..5) while sophomore Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX) and freshman Naomi Schuster (Birmingham, AL) crossed the line in 17th and 34th place, respectively.

Oct. 5

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO RACE AT GEORGIA STATE INVITATIONAL

The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams will stay close to home this Saturday (Oct. 7) when they compete at the Georgia State Invitational.  The meet will be held at the Georgia Regional Hospital, the site of the 2006 NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships which Emory will host.  The men's 8K race begins at 9:00 a.m., while the women's 5K competition is scheduled to commence at 10:00 a.m.

As was the case with last weekend's Georgia Collegiate Championships, Head Coach John Curtin will likely opt to rest his top runners on both the men's and women's side as they point to the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational competition on Oct. 14.

Last week, the men's side posted a second-place finish out of 12 teams at the Georgia Collegiate Championships in Macon.  The Eagles finished with 82 points and trailed only Berry College's first-place total of 64 points. 

Freshman Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) led Emory's efforts in that race, posting an 8K time of 27:21, good for the runner-up spot to Abraham Kiprotich of Chattahoochee College who finished first with a time of 27:12.  Sophomore Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) was the second Emory contestant to cross the line in a time of 27:54, good for 14th position overall out of 111 runners.  Junior Andrew Swerlick (Atlanta) concluded the race in 19th place with a showing of 28:12. 

The women's squad is ranked 18th nationally, up four spots from the previous week. The Eagles came in fifth out of 15 teams last week at the Georgia Collegiate Championships. 

Senior Jennifer Cronin (Dacula, GA) led the Eagles' squad with an eighth-place finish out of 118 competitors with a time of 19:55.7.  Seniors Katie Parafinczuk (Derby, NY) and Asha Natarajan (Acworth, GA) were the next two Emory finishers with Parafinczuk recording a time of 20:26.9, good for 20th position, and Natarajan an effort of 20:33.5, good for 23rd. 

Sept. 30

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES SECOND AT GEORGIA COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Emory University men's cross country team posted a second-place finish out of 12 teams at the Georgia Collegiate Championships.  The Eagles, who opted not to race a number of their top runners, finished with 82 points, trailing only Berry College's first-place total of 64 points.  The meet was held at the Georgia Children's home in Macon.

Pacing the Emory effort was freshman Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) whose 8K time of 27:21 was good for the runner-up spot to Abraham Kiprotich of Chattahoochee College who finished first with a time of 27:12.  Sophomore Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) was the second Emory contestant to cross the line in a time of 27:54, good for 14th position overall out of 111 runners.  Junior Andrew Swerlick (Atlanta) concluded the race in 19th place with a showing of 28:12 while sophomore Luke Wetzel's (Olathe, KS) effort of 28:14.0 placed him 21st. Sophomore Brian Mortensen rounded Emory's scorers with a 26th-place time of 28:26.

 Emory's next action will be at the Georgia State Invitational on Oct. 7.

 
Sept. 27

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT MERCER INVITATIONAL/GEORGIA COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

ATLANTA - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their seasons this Saturday (Sept. 30) when the Eagles compete at the Mercer Invitational/Georgia Collegiate Championships.  Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Georgia Children's Home in Macon.  Action gets underway with the women's race at 9:00 a.m., followed with the men's competition at 9:35 am.

The women's squad, ranked 22nd nationally, turned in a first-place finish out of 20 teams at the Great American Cross Country Festival last weekend.  The Eagles had three performers finish among the top six led by senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) who finished second out of 149 competitors with a time of 19:29. 5 over the 5K course.  Junior Lauren Shores ( Manchester, MO) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) turned in strong efforts, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively, with times of 19:47.1 and 20:02.5.

The men's team also came home with first-place honors out of 15 schools.  Junior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) came crossed the line in sixth place out of 109 runners over the 8K course in a time of 28:07.7.  Freshman Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) and senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) registered eighth and ninth-place efforts with times of 28:18.7 and 28:23.4, respectively.

Head Coach John Curtin will likely sit out most of his top runners on both sides this weekend and give the opportunity to some other competitors to make their mark.

"This race will give our second ten runners on both the women's and men's teams the opportunity to show what they can do," Curtin said.  "These runners have been training hard from the onset and are hungry to race.  If we have some close correlating times with some of our first-team runners, then we'll give them a chance to race at the Georgia State meet the following weekend to earn a spot for the UW-Oshkosh Trip."

Sept. 20

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT GREAT AMERICAN CROSS COUNTRY FESTIVAL

After turning in fine performances last weekend, the Emory University men's and women's cross country teams return to action this Saturday (Sept. 23) when the Eagles compete in the Great American Cross Country Festival held in Hoover, Alabama.  Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Hoover Shelby Park.  Action gets underway with the men's race at 8:20 a.m., to be followed with the women's competition at 8:55 am.

The women's squad turned in a second-place finish out of 17 teams at the Crimson Classic last weekend, trailing only Mississippi State, while the men's team finished fifth out of 17 teams.

The women's team, ranked 15th in the nation, had three runners finish among the top 16 runners at the Crimson Classic, led by junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO).  Shores finished fourth out of 131 competitors with a time of 18:29.2.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) posted 14th and 16th-place finishes, respectively, with times of 19:14.1 and 19:19.4

"I'm curious as to how the women's team will perform," Head Coach John Curtin said.  "This is our second race in two weeks and I felt when I scheduled this meet that it was important to run back-to-back.  It is what you have to do later on in the season when it comes to competing in regionals and then nationals." 

A number of Emory men saw their first action of the year at the Crimson Classic.  Senior Kile Krol (Moline, IL) was one those runners and he ranked as the top Emory performer over the 8K course with a time of 26:40.8, good for 26th position out of 120 competitors. 

Junior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) was the second Emory runner to cross the line in a time of 27:13.2, good for 35th position, while senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) turned in a 36th-place showing 27:13.6.

"We are looking at this as an opportunity to get in a race where we are competitive," Curtin said.  "We are running on a challenging course and we want to see if we can take our performance farther and keep improving."

Sept. 15

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY FINISHES FIFTH AT ALABAMA CRIMSON CLASSIC  

The Emory University men's cross country team finished fifth out of 15 teams at the Alabama Crimson Classic.  The Eagles' team total of 161 points trailed meet champion Alabama (25 pts.), Mississippi State (56 pts.), Ole Miss (114) and Kennesaw State (128 pts.). The meet was held at the Harry Pritchard Course in Tuscaloosa.  

Emory's top finisher was senior Kile Krol (Moline, IL) who finished 26th out of 120 runners with a time of 26:40.1 over the 8K course.  Junior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) and senior Rob Leventhal (Maitland, FL) were the next two scorers for Emory with Rothbart recording an effort of 27:13.2 (35th) and Leventhal finishing at 27:13.6 (36th).  Rounding out the top five for the Eagles were sophomore Vikram Srivastava (27:18.9, 40th) and junior John Devlin (27:19.8, 41st).

The next action for the Emory squad is an appearance at the Great American Cross Country Festival next Saturday (8:20 am) in Hoover, Alabama.

 
Sept. 13

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT ALABAMA CRIMSON CLASSIC

The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams return to action this Friday (Sept. 15) when the Eagles compete in the University of Alabama Crimson Classic held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Harry Pritchett Cross Country Course.  Action gets underway at 5:00 pm with the women's race while the men are scheduled to start at 5:30 pm.

Head Coach John Curtin and his Eagles will be competing in their second meet of the year.  The Emory men's team finished fifth out of 15 teams at the Sewanee Invitational on Sept. 2 while the women's side posted a second-place finish out of 19 squads. 

"This will be our first test of the season," Emory head coach John Curtin said."  "Both teams have had the opportunity to do some quality training since the Sewanee meet.  There will be some good competition and it will be an early indication of where we are.  With each competition, we look to show improvement and get better."

The women's team, ranked 15th in the nation, had three runners finish among the top 13 runners at the Sewanee Invitational, led by junior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO).  Shores finished fourth out of 159 competitors with a time of 18:35.9.  Senior Amy DiBianca (Winston-Salem, NC) and sophomore Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) posted eighth and 13th-place finishes, respectively.

The men's team held out a number of its top performers in the Sewanee competition in order to get more training in for Friday's action.  Freshman Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) paced the team's effort at Sewanee with a 24th-place finish (out of 152 runners) of 27:41.5 while classmate Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was right behind him in 25th with a time of 27:41.8

Sept. 2

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES FIFTH AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH INVITATIONAL  

The Emory University men's cross country team opened its season with a fifth-place finish out of 15 teams at the University of the South Invitational.  The Eagles, who opted not to race all of their top runners in this competition, finished with 135 points.  Mississippi State claimed the team title with 24 points and was followed by Birmingham Southern (71 pts.), Centre College (80 pts.) and Rhodes (115 pts.).   The meet was held in Sewannee, Tennessee.

Pacing the Emory effort was freshman Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) whose time of 27:41.56 over the 8K course placed him 24th out of 152 entrants.  Classmate Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was right behind Robin in 28th position with a showing of 27:41.83.  The third Emory harrier to finish in the scoring was sophomore Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA) with an effort of a 28:09.04, good for 32nd overall.

Emory's next action will be at the Alabama Crimson Classic on Sept. 15.

Sept. 1

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS OPEN 2006 SEASON

The 2006 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams open the season on Saturday (Sept. 2) when they compete in the 26th annual University of the South Cross Country Invitational held in Sewanee, Tennessee.   Both the women's 5K and the men's 8K competition will be held at the Sewanee Golf Course.  Action gets underway at 10:00 am with the women's race while the men are scheduled to start at 11:00 am.

Head Coach John Curtin and his Eagles are eager to start the year in this competition that features approximately 20 men's teams and 21 women's squads.  Last year, Emory's men's team tied for third place out of 14 teams, with Bryan Forsyth (Franklin, TN) leading way with a third-place finish, while the Eagle women took home first-place honors out of 17 squads.  Leading that group was Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) with a third-place effort out of 143 runners. 

"With the men's team we're going to hold out four of our top five guys and training through it and open them up at the Alabama Classic," Curtin said.  "This meet is going to give our freshmen the opportunity to get some collegiate experience and then some of the others who are fighting for a top five spot a chance to establish what they are going to do.  The only one of our top five we are going to run is Vikram Srivastava (Dalton, GA)."

"As for the women's team, we are going to run everybody.  We are going to divide them up into groups and assign time goals for each mile.  We are going to try to run it as a group and let them race the last mile.  It is still a little early to let it all hang out so we are going to use it as a measuring stick."