EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM EARNS USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS

(Mar. 3) - The Emory University men's cross country team, a participant in the 2007 NCAA Division III Championships, has been recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for excellence both in the classroom and on the running trails by earning the organization's All-Academic Team Award.

The Eagles of Head Coach John Curtin completed fall term with a team cumulative GPA of 3.48 and were one of 99 Division III programs to earn recognition.  To be eligible, a school must have compiled a team score at the NCAA Regional Meet and have a minimum 3.10 team cumulative GPA.  Emory tied for first place finish out of 21 teams at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championship.

A trio of Emory runners found their way on the USTFCCCA Men's All-Academic Team. Senior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ), junior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) and sophomore Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) all landed spots on the all-academic team. 

A total of 150 male student-athletes received the honor in 2007. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade-point average and must finish in the top 25 percent of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS LOOK FORWARD TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams head north this weekend to take part in the NCAA Division III Championships.  This year's event will be held at the St. Olaf College Cross Country Trails in Northfield, Minnesota.  Both the men's and women's fields will be comprised of 32 teams looking to capture the national title.  The women's 6K competition begins at 11:00 am (CST) while the men's 8K race is slated for a noon start.

The women's team earned an automatic bid to this year's championships by virtue of its first-place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional last weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia.  The Eagles topped the 28-team field with 52 points and were followed by Trinity's 54 points.  Leading the way for Emory was senior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) who posted a third-place finish in the 186-runner field with a time of 23:15.  Shores was one of three Emory runners to finish among the top six with juniors Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) and  Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) recording fifth and sixth-place showings, respectively.  The Eagles' other scorers included juniors Rebecca Willett (Mobile, AL), who posted a 16th-place effort, and Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX), who finished 22nd.    Emory's top five performers brought home all-region recognition as did the team's two other entrants, sophomore Rebecca Flink (Loudonville, NY) and freshman Jenny Feinberg (Andover, MA) with 26th and 29th-place performances.The women's program will be making its 16 trip to the NCAA Championships in the last 17 years.  Emory finished 14th in last year's competition and was led by Melissa Jones whose 24th-place finish that enabled her to earn All-America honors.

The men's team earned an automatic bid to nationals after sharing first place with Rhodes College at the Regional with each squad totaling 76 points. It marks the first time that an Eagles' team has qualified since the 2004 campaign. 

Junior Vikram Srivastava paced the Emory pack and finished seventh out of 170 runners with an 8K mark of 26:18.  This will be his second straight trip to the NCAA Championships after qualifying last year as an individual.   Sophomore Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) continued his fine season and recorded a 10th-place finish, coming up with a time of 26:23. Sophomore Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) came in 16th (26:41) while senior Mike Rothbart (27:02, 23rd place) and sophomore Tommy Fyffe (27:06, 24th place) rounded out the scorers.  As was the case with the women's team, all seven entries on the men's team captured all-region acclaim including senior Jeff Roland (Bedford, NH) and junior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD).

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM TIES FOR FIRST PLACE AT NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL - EARNS AUTOMATIC TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Nov. 10) - The Emory University men's cross country team, ranked 32nd in the nation, tied Rhodes College for first place at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championships today.  Both teams finished with 76 points in the hotly contested event and were followed by UT-Tyler who recorded 77 points.  Rhodes brought home the trophy having an edge in the tie-breaking procedure.  Emory's performance enabled it to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships next weekend.  The Regional Championship was held in Williamsburg, Va., and hosted by Christopher Newport.

Junior Vikram Srivastava rose to the occasion and led the Emory pack while finishing seventh overall in the 170-runner field with an 8K time of 26:18.  Sophomore Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) was the second Eagle to score with his time of 26:23 placing him tenth (ninth-place in scoring).  Sophomore Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) posted a time of 26:41, good for 16th place, while senior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) registered a 23rd-place finish (22nd scorer) with an effort of 27:02.  Sophomore Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) rounded out the squad's scorers registering a time of 27:06, good for 24th position.  Senior Jeff Roland (Bedford, NH) and junior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) also competed for the Eagles.

The NCAA National Championships will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Northfield, Minnesota and hosted by St. Olaf.  The men's race will begin at noon (CST).

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL

(Nov. 8) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams head to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they will compete in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 10.  Hosted by Christopher Newport University, the women's 6K race begins at 11:00 a.m. followed by the men's 8K competition at noon. Both races will be held at Eastern State Hospital.  A total of 25 men's squads will be competing while the women's competition will feature 30 teams.

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. 17 at St. Olaf College located in Northfield, Minnesota.

The Emory women's team, ranked 19th in the nation, is coming off a third-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships (Oct. 27). Junior Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) and senior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) garnered first team All-UAA honors after posting fifth and seventh-place finishes, respectively, in the 78-runner field.  Junior Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) brought home second-team acclaim after coming in ninth. 

The women's team will be looking to continue its dominance in the South/Southeast Regional that has seen the Eagles finish first in 15 of the past 16 seasons.  Last year, Emory topped the 26-team field with Jones finishing fourth and Shores sixth out of 177 runners.  

The men's team is ranked 32nd nationally and registered a fourth-place effort at the UAAs, the program's best finish since 2002.  The Eagles, who finished just one point out of third place, were led by sophomore Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) whose 11th-place finish enabled him to earn a second-team spot on the All-UAA Team. 

Last season, the men's team came in third place at the Regional (Centre College finished first) with Tommy Fyffe and Vikram Srivastava earning at-large individual spots at the national championships.

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

(Oct. 27) - The Emory University men's cross country team finished in fourth place out of eight squads at the 21st Annual University Athletic Association Championships held at Franklin Park in Boston.  It marks the best finish by the Eagles since a second-place finish in 2002.

The Eagles totaled 122 points, just one point behind third-place finisher Case Western Reserve University.  No. 2-ranked New York University breezed to the team championship with 20 points and was followed by Carnegie Mellon's 68 points. 

Sophomore Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) was Emory's top runner with an 8K time of 25:50, placing him 11th in the 78-runner field.  Junior Vikram Srivasta (Chattanooga, TN) recorded an 18th-place finish with a mark of 26:06 while sophomore Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) came in 24th at 26:14.  Rounding out Emory's scorers were senior Michael Rothbart (26:15, 25th place) and senior Jeff Roland (26:46, 48th place).

Emory's next action will be on Saturday, November 10, when it competes at the South/Southeast Regional in Newport News, VA.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS GEAR UP FOR UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Oct. 25) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams head to Boston where they will compete in the 21st Annual University Athletic Association Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 27.  Hosted by Brandeis University, the women's 6K race begins at 10:00 a.m. followed by the men's 8K competition at 10:45 a.m. Both races will be held at Franklin Park.

"We have reached the time of the year where it is championship season and the UAAs start that off ," Emory Head Coach John Curtin said. "We have focused our training to get ready for the next four weeks and I believe that both sides are as well prepared as we've been."

The women's team, ranked first in the South/Southeast Region and 28th nationally, posted a third-place finish last season.  No. 8-ranked Case Western heads into the competition looking to defend its title after snapping Washington University's (No. 3 ranked) four-year reign as champion.  Last season, Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) and Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) finished ninth and tenth, respectively, en route to all-conference recognition.

"Last year 14 of the 20 top finishers were from either Case, Washington University and Emory and I expect a similar three-way battle for first place," Curtin said.

The men's squad, ranked No. 2 in the South/Southeast Region, will be eyeing a climb up the conference ladder after finishing eighth last season.  Highlighting Emory's effort in 2006 was Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) who crossed the finish line in 28th place en route to UAA Rookie of the Year honors.  New York University, ranked No. 2 among Division III teams, enters the weekend as defending men's champ.

"I believe that the men's side is ready to step up and become the surprise team," Curtin stated.  "While we really don't have a frontrunner per say, we do have a strong pack of runners who I believe will show what they are capable of."

Following the UAA Championships, both teams will resume action on Nov. 10 at the NCAA South/Southeast Regionals in Newport News, VA. 

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS COMPETE AT TIGER TWILIGHT INVITATIONAL

(Oct. 10) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their respective seasons this Friday (Oct. 12) when they compete at the Tiger Twilight Invitational.  The meet will be hosted by the University of the South.  The women's 6K race will begin at 4:00 p.m., while the men's 8K competition will start at 4:45 p.m.

After seeing the women's team capture first place and the men's side post a runner-up finish at Pre-Nationals last weekend, Emory Head Coach John Curtin plans to rest the majority of his top runners in preparation the for the impending UAA Championships.  Curtin is hoping that those hitting the course this weekend will help solidify the few lineup spots for the rest of the season.

"As for this meet, we're pretty much going let some people race and see if we can fill out the final three positions on both teams for the UAAs and beyond," Curtin stated.  "We'll be looking to make some final decisions in that regard and allow people to show what they can do."

The women's impressive first-place performance was highlighted by seeing its five scorers finish among the top 13 finishers in the 154-runner field, led by senior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) who came in third with a 6K time of 23:37.8.

The men's team enjoyed a balanced race and was had four contestants rank among the top 24 finishers.  Senior Mike Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) paced the pack with an 8K time of 28:02.1, good for 19th place in the 193-contestant field. 

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM TIES FOR SECOND AT PRE-NATIONALS  

(Oct. 6) -- The Emory University men's cross country team turned in solid performance at the Pre-Nationals, finishing in a second-place tie out of 15 teams.  The competition was held at St. Olaf College (MN).

Emory finished with 94 points and shared second place with Grinnell College. North Central College claimed the top spot with 24 points.  Host St. Olaf finished in fourth (157 pts.) and St. Thomas posted a fifth-place effort with 170 pts.

The Eagles placed four runners among the top 24 finishers. Senior Mike Rothbart paced the Emory pack with an 8K time of 28:02.1, good for 19th place in the 193-contestant field.  Junior Virkram Srivastava posted 22nd-place finish with a time of 28:04.7 while sophomore Paul Winterhalter was 23rd with a showing of 28:05.  Sophomores Tommy Fyffe (28:07.9, 24th place) and Charles Meade (28:16, 27th place) rounded out the team's scorers.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS LOOK TO MAKE MARK AT PRE-NATIONALS

(Oct. 3) -- The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams  head north this weekend to compete at Pre-Nationals.  This year's meet will be hosted by St. Olaf College and is slated to feature 13 women's teams and 15 men's squads.   The women's 6K race will start at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) and will be followed by the men's 8K competition at noon (CDT).  The event will be held at the St. Olaf Championship Course which will serve as the venue for the 2007 NCAA Division III Championships.

The women's team, ranked No. 1 in the South/Southeast Region and 26th in the nation, will be back in action following a fourth-place finish out of nine teams at the Bulldog Stampede (Sept. 22).  In that meet, the Eagles trailed only Division I teams Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn.  Emory had three finishers among the top 22 competitors including senior Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) who covered the 5K course in 18:51.72, good for 19th place in the 80-runner field.  Junior Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) and junior Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) finished in 21st and 22nd position, respectively.

The men's team, ranked No. 2 in the South/Southeast Region, posted a fourth-place effort out of 10 teams at the Bulldog Stampede.  Highlighting Emory's efforts was the sophomore duo of Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) and Charlie Meade (Wellesley, MA) who came in 27th and 28th, respectively, in the 88-runner field.  Winterhalter covered the 8K course in a time of 26:53.93 while Meade turned in a time of 26:57.48. 

"We are looking forward to the Pre-Nationals," Emory Head Coach John Curtin stated.  "For the women, it will be their first opportunity to run a 6K this season.  They have trained for it and are ready to go.

"It also allows both teams to compete on the course that will host the nationals later this year.  Having knowledge of a course increases the comfort level for the runners which should boost their confidence when nationals come along.  You get to know the ins and the outs of the course and generally know what you have waiting for you."

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES FOURTH AT BULLDOG STAMPEDE

(Sept. 22) -- The Emory University men's cross country team registered a fourth-place finish out of 10 teams this morning at the Bulldog Stampede.  Capturing the team title was Auburn University with 46 points while Georgia was runner-up with 55 points.  Emory finished with 122 points.  The race was held on the University of Georgia Golf Course.

The sophomore tandem of Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) and Charlie Meade (Wellesley, MA) who came in 27th and 28th, respectively.  Winterhalter covered the 8K course in a time of 26:53.93 while Meade posted a time of 26:57.48.  Senior Jeff Roland (Bedford, NH) came in 30th (27:05.79) and was followed by junior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) whose time of 27:15.79 ranked him 33rd.  Rounding out the Eagles' scorers was junior Vikram Srivastava who finished 37th (27:33.59).

Emory's next action will take place on Oct. 6 when it competes at Pre-Nationals at St. Olaf, MN.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT BULLDOG STAMPEDE

(Sept. 19) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their respective seasons this Saturday (Sept. 22) when they venture to Athens to participate in the Bulldog Stampede.  The women's 5K race will start at 8:00 a.m. and will be followed by the men's 8K competition at 8:30 a.m.  The event will be held at the University of Georgia Golf Course.

The women's team, ranked 25th in the nation, is coming off a third-place finish out of 19 teams at the Georgia State Invitational last weekend.  The Eagles' finish was impressive considering that All-American Melissa Jones and key vets Lauren Shores and Natalie Waryck were held out of the meet.  All three will run in the Stampede and Curtin is eager to see the results.

"This is the first time this season that the women's team will run at full strength," Curtin said.  "This will give us an idea of where we are as we prepare for Pre-Nationals.  The women have trained hard and are ready to go."

The men's team posted a seventh-place effort out of 18 teams at the Georgia State Invitational and sat out several key performers as well with an eye on competing at the Bulldog Stampede. Sophomores Tommy Fyffe and Paul Winterhalter and sophomore Bryan Forsyth were among those who trained through the Georgia State Invitational and who are eager to take part in this weekend's race. 

"Other than Michael Rothbart not competing, the men's team should be at full strength," Curtin said.  It should be a good meet for the guys and should provide us some insight as to who will emerge as contenders for roster spots come Pre-Nationals time."

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES SEVENTH AT GEORGIA STATE INVITATIONAL  

The Emory University men's cross country team posted a seventh-place finish out of 18 teams at the 35th annual Georgia State Invitational, finishing the competition with 193 points.  Host Georgia State captured the top spot with 35 points and was followed by Kennesaw State's 46 points.  Shorter College (100 pts.), Berry College (168 pts.) and Clayton State (189 pts.) rounded out the top five positions. The race was held at the Georgia Regional Hospital.

Pacing the Emory effort was senior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) whose time of 27:35.2 over the 8K course placed him 11th out of 172 entrants.  Sophomore Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) was the second Emory runner to cross the line and posted a 31stth-place showing with a time of 28:22.56.  The third Emory harrier to finish in the scoring was freshman Kevin Lanza (Winter Park, FL) with a time of a 29:20.15, good for 59th overall.  Sophomore Michael Spewak (St. Louis, MO), registered a 69th-place finish (28:08.24) while junior Brian Mortensen (Ambler, PA) rounded out the Eagles' scorers with a 74thnd-place effort (30:03.40).  Others competing for the Eagles included freshman Andrew Sullivan (Pepper Pike, OH) and senior Henry Bowden (Atlanta) with postings of 30:11.62 and 32:41.35, respectively.

Emory's next action will be at the Bulldog Stampede hosted by the University of Georgia on Sept. 22.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS GEAR UP FOR GEORGIA STATE INVITATIONAL

(Sept. 12) -- The Emory University men's and women's country teams continue their respective seasons on Saturday (Sept. 15) when they compete in the 35th annual Georgia State Invitational.  The competition will be held at the Georgia Regional Hospital with the men's 8K race scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. followed by the women's 5K race at 10:00 a.m. 

A total of 19 men's teams are slated to contend for the championship including Berry College, Clark Atlanta University, Chattahoochee Tech., Clayton State, Darton College, Georgia State, Georgia College, Gordon College, Kennesaw State, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Mercer, Morehouse, North Georgia College, Oglethorpe, Shorter College, Toccoa Falls College, and University of South Florida.   Last year, Emory finished in fourth place out of 13 teams.

The women's field will be comprised of 23 squads -- Agnes Scott, Berry College, Brenau University, Clark Atlanta University, Chattahoochee Tech., Clayton State, Darton College, Georgia State, Georgia College, Gordon College, Kennesaw State, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Mercer, Morehouse, North Georgia College, Oglethorpe, Shorter College, Toccoa Falls College, USC-Aiken, University of South Florida, and Wesleyan College.

"We are looking at the Georgia State Invitational as an opportunity for some of our runners who need races to get one," said Head Coach John Curtin. "We are planning on keeping our training mileage up this week and race hard at the Bulldog Stampede the following weekend.  This will allow some of our runners who are competing for spots to show what they can do."

Both Eagles' teams opened the season on Sept. 1 by posting second-place finishes at the University of South Invitational.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS GARNER NATIONAL AND REGIONAL RECOGNITION

(Sept. 6) -- The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams have garnered regional and national recognition in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason rankings.

The women's team is ranked 25th nationally by the USTFCCCA while holding down the No. 1 position in the South/Southeast Region.  Amherst is the No. 1-ranked squad in the preseason and is followed by Calvin College.  The Eagles finished 14th at last year's NCAA Championships while claiming the program's 15th South/Southeast Regional title in the past 16 seasons.  Following Emory in the regional rankings is Trinity University in the No. 2 spot and Washington & Lee in the third slot.

While the Emory men's team was not ranked nationally, it is slated as the No. 1 unit in the South/Southeast Region.  Rhodes College is No. 2 while Centre College holds down the No. 3 post.  Rounding out the top five are University of Mary Washington and Washington & Lee University.

Both the Emory men's and women's teams turned in solid efforts in their first competition of the season with second-place finishes at the University of South Invitational.  Both teams finished runner-up to NCAA Division I member Mississippi State.

The next action for both Eagle teams will be on September 15 when they take part in the Georgia State Invitational.

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

The Emory University men's cross country team opened its season with a second-place finish out of 17 teams at the University of the South Invitational.  The Eagles finished the competition with 76 points and trailed only Mississippi State's 18 points. Bryan College (98 pts.) took home third place while Rhodes College (108 pts.) and Centre College (149 pts) rounded out the top five.

Pacing the Emory effort was senior Michael Rothbart (Livingston, NJ) whose time of 27:12.93 over the 8K course placed him eighth out of 161 entrants.  Sophomore Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) was the second Emory runner to cross the line and posted a 14th-place finish with a time of 27:51.99.  The third Emory harrier to finish in the scoring was sophomore Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) with an effort of a 28:03.74, good for 17th overall.  Sophomore Greg Decker (Rockville, MD), making his Emory debut, registered an 18th-place finish (28:08.24) while senior Jeff Roland (Bedford, NH) rounded out the Eagles' scorers with a 22nd-place effort (28:17.99).

Emory's next action will be at the Georgia State Invitational on Sept. 15.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS OPEN 2007 SEASON

(Aug. 29) - The 2007 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams open the season on Saturday (Sept. 1) when they compete in the 27th annual Sewanee 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 the competition that features approximately 19 teams entered in both the men's and women's events.  Last year, Emory's men's team finished fifth out of 15 teams, with Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) leading way with a 24th-place finish out of 152 entrants, while the Eagle women took home second-place honors out of 19 squads.  Leading that group was Lauren Shores (Manchester, MO) with a fourth-place effort out of 159 runners. 

"Our men's team is focused on doing well," Curtin said when previewing this weekend's action. "There will be some tough teams from the region taking part and the men definitely want to put their best foot forward early on.  They look fit and are ready to go."

"As for the women's team, we are going to run the people we think are ready," Curtin continued.  "We are basically going to run it as a time trial and see where we are.  I know that they are eager and ready to start competing."