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

(Mar. 6) - The Emory University men's cross country team, a participant in the 2008 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 3.550 and were one of 103 Division III programs to earn recognition.  Emory's team GPA was the fifth highest mark among this year's institutional recipients.  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 finished second out of 19 teams at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championship.

Two Emory runners found their way on the USTFCCCA Men's All-Academic Team with senior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) and junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) the program's representatives. 

A total of 132 male student-athletes received the honor in 2008. 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 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM ANNOUNCES 2008 AWARD WINNERS

(Dec. 12) -  The Emory University men's cross country team has announced the program's award winners for the 2008 season.

Junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) was named the Most Valuable Runner, capping off an excellent campaign that saw him become the school's first male All-American runner since 2003.  Meade earned that distinction following an 18th-place finish out of 278 entries at the NCAA Championships, covering the 8K course in a personal-best time of 24:49.  Meade ranked as the Eagles' top performer in five of seven events including a fourth-place showing out of 152 runners at the NCCA South/Southeast Regional Championships.

Juniors Greg Decker (Rockville, MD) and Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) shared the Most Improved Runner Award after emerging as key contributors to this year's team.  Decker finished among the squad's top five runners in five of seven competitions and brought home all-region honors following a 34th-place effort at the South/Southeast Regional Championships.  Robin recorded top-five team finishes in six of seven events and topped all Eagles while coming in third overall out of 77 hopefuls at the Vanderbilt Invitational.

Senior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) received the Coach's Award, symbolic of dedication, leadership and inspiration.  Ennist was a point scorer for the Eagles in five of eight competitions and landed all-region honors with a 22nd-place finish out of 152 runners at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championships.

Freshman Tim Halinski (Alpharetta, GA) was chosen as the Rookie of The Year after competing in five meets.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD FINISHES 18th AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEADE EARNS ALL-AMERICA HONORS

(Nov. 22) - The Emory University men's cross country team finished in 18th place out of 32 teams at the NCAA Championships this afternoon.  This year's event was hosted by Hanover College (IN).

Taking home the team championship was Cortland State with 80 points.  North Central (IL) was runner-up with 115 points while Williams College checked in at the No. 3 spot with 129 points.  The Eagles finished the competition with 464 points.

Leading the Emory effort was junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) who earned All-America honors after his 18th-place finish in the 278-runner field.  Meade turned in an 8K time of 24:49, the fifth time in seven competitions this fall that he was the team's top performer.  Meade is Emory's first All-American since the 2003 season (Phil Hagedorn) and the fourth in school history.

Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) turned in a strong performance, crossing the finish line in 47th position with an effort of 25:11.  Junior Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) clocked a 25:36 and finished 98th.  Rounding out the Emory scorers were senior Nate Ennist (26:11) and junior Alex Robin (26:43).

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS TO COMPETE AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Nov. 18) -  The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams close out the 2008 season on Saturday when they compete at the NCAA Championships. 
This year's championship will be hosted by Hanover College (IN) and held at L.S. Ayers Complex.  The men's 8K race begins at 11:00 a.m., and will be followed by the women's 6K competition at noon.

Each championship race will include 32 teams, with seven runners per squad, and 56 individuals from additional schools.  The 32 squads in each race include 16 teams, two from eight regions, who automatically qualified following their finishes at the regional championships.  In addition, the NCAA national committee selected 16 at-large teams from among the top five teams in each regional meet.  The top seven individual competitors in each regional race, not associated with a qualifying team, also earned a place in the championship field.

The Emory men's team, ranked 22nd nationally, earned its spot at the national championship after coming in second out of 19 teams at the South/Southeast Regional.  Juniors Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) and Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) spearheaded the strong effort by coming in fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 152-runner field.  All five of the team's scorers earned all-region honors including junior Paul Winterhalter (Ardomore, PA), who crossed the finish line in the No. 8 position, senior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) and junior Greg Decker (Rockville, MD).  This year's trip to nationals marks the eighth appearance in the last 10 years to the Championships.

The Emory's women's side, holders of the No. 29 national ranking, finished second in the 24-team at the Regional Championships.  Emory's top five finishers all ranked among the top 20 contestants in the 169-runner field and brought home all-region accolades.  Senor Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) turned in a 6K time of 22:37, good for sixth place in the field.  Junior Rebbeca Flink (Loudonville, NY) posted an eighth-place showing while freshman Tess Gallegos (Kennesaw, GA) came in tenth.  Senior Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) and senior Megan Shaughnessy (San Antonio, TX) rounded out the team's scorers.  Also earning all-region honors was sophomore Natalie Fenn (Evanston, IL).  The Emory women's program has now qualified for nationals in 17 of the past 18 seasons.  Last year the Eagles finished in 17th place.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FINISHES SECOND AT NCAA SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - QUALIFIES FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Nov. 15) -- The 12th-ranked Emory University men's cross country team recorded a second-place finish out of 19 teams at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championships today and earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships next weekend in Hanover, Indiana.  The regional championships were held in Seguine, Tex., and hosted by Texas Lutheran University.

The Eagles posted 73 points and finished runner-up to Centre College's total of 56 points.  Rounding out the top five teams were Texas-Tyler (98 pts.), Rhodes College (140 pts.) and Mary Washington (170 pts.).

Emory placed three of its scorers among the top 10 finishers in the 152-runner field.  Junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) led the Eagles' contingent with an 8K time of 25:32, good for fourth place overall.  Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) posted a showing of 25:40 that placed him in fifth position.  Junior Paul Winterhalter's (Ardmore, PA) time of 25:50 was good for the eighth slot.  Accounting for the remainder of Emory's other points were senior Nate Ennist (22nd place, 26:33) and junior Greg Decker (34th place, 27:00). All of the team's point scorers earned all-region honors.  Taking home the top spot was Chase Wilson of Centre College with a time of 25:23.

This year's second-place showing marks the ninth time in the last 11 seasons that Emory has finished among the top two finishers at the NCAA Regional Championships.

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

(Nov. 11) -  The 2008 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams head into the homestretch of the season on Saturday (Nov. 15) when they take part in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Championships.  This year's competitions will be held in Seguin, Texas, and hosted by Texas Lutheran University.  The men's 8K race will begin at 9:00 a.m. (CST) while the women's 6K event is slated for a 10:00 a.m. (CST) start. 

There are eight regional championships being conducted around the country with the top two men's and women's teams from each regional earning automatic bids to the NCAA National Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Hanover, Indiana.  In addition, there will be 16 at-large teams selected for both the men's and women's championships.

The Emory women's team has enjoyed considerable success over the years at the NCAA Regionals, logging first-place efforts in 16 of the past 17 seasons.  In 2007, the Eagles topped the 28-team field with 52 points, edging runner-up Trinity who finished with 54 points.  Seniors Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) and Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) recorded fifth and sixth-place finishes, respectively, en route to all-region honors.  In their most recent outing, the Emory women's team came in third at the University Athletic Association Championships (Nov. 1).  Freshman Tess Gallegos (Kennesaw, GA) led Emory's effort by crossing the finish line in fifth position out of 76 runners with a 6K time of 22:06.  Jones came through with a sixth-place performance (22:14) and in the process landed First Team All-UAA recognition with Gallegos.  Warcyk was a second-team honoree after coming in 11th.

Last year's men's competition was a hotly-contested affair with Emory and Rhodes tying for first place with 76 points with Texas-Tyler in hot pursuit with 77 points. All seven of the Eagles' runners earned all-region kudos by virtue of their finishes, highlighted by current squad members Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) and Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) who posted 10th and 16th-place efforts respectively, in the 170-runner field.  Emory has registered first-place efforts as a team in seven of the last nine regional championships.  At the UAA Championships, Emory chalked up a third-place finish, the program's best showing since the 2002 campaign, and had  Meade, along with Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) earn First Team All-UAA status.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FINISHES THIRD AT UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS


(Nov. 1) -- The 13th-ranked Emory University men's cross country team recorded a third-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships on Saturday morning. The event was held at the Georgia International Horse Park in nearby Conyers.

The Eagles finished with 78 points, trailing New York University's No. 1 mark of 35 points and runner-up Carnegie Mellon's 52 points.  Brandeis (102 pts.) was fourth while Case Western Reserve (108) held down the No. 5 position.  Rounding out the field was Chicago (146 pts.), Washington University (190 pts.) and Rochester (204 pts.).

Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) led the Emory effort and finished third overall in the 78-runner field with an 8K time of 25:44.  Junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) crossed the finish line in seventh position with a showing a 25:57.  Both Fyffe and Meade earned First Team All-UAA honors by virtue of their finishes.  NYU's Jesse Schneider took home first place with a time of 25:34.  Other scorers for the Eagles included junior Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) who posted an 18th-place finish (26:35), Greg Decker (22nd, 26:39) and junior Paul Winterhalter (28th, 26:49).

Emory's third-place finish represented the program's best showing at the UAAs since 2002 when that team recorded a second-place performance.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS HOST UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Oct. 28) -  The 2008 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams set their sights on the 22nd annual University Athletic Association Championships this Saturday (Nov. 1).  Emory will serve as the host institution for the Championships which will be held at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Ga.  The men's 8K race will begin at 11:00 a.m., while the women's 6K competition is slated for a noon start.

The New York University men's team enters the event as two-time defending champion.  Last year the Violets breezed to the title with 20 points as they had runners finish in the top three spots.  Carnegie Mellon finished runner-up with 68 points while Case Western Reserve University (121 pts.) and Emory (122 pts.) claimed third and fourth place, respectively, in the eight-team field. Leading the Emory effort last season was Paul Winterhalter whose time of 25:50 placed him 11th and earned him Second Team All-UAA recognition.  
 
Looking to spearhead the team this year will be the junior trio of Winterhalter, Charles Meade and Tommy Fyffe.  Meade has been the squad's No. 1 performer in three of his four races while Fyffe and Winterhalter have been among the Eagles' top three finishers in their four events.  Emory was ranked 13th in the nation in the Oct. 22 USTFCCA Poll while Carnegie Mellon (6th), NYU (10th) and Case Western (12th) were league teams tabbed for the national rankings.  

On the women's side, Emory will be looking to improve upon its third place showing from 2007 while unseating Washington University as the defending champ.  The Bears earned their fifth championship in six years with 31 points with Case Western's 44 points placing it second.  The Eagles totaled 58 points and were followed by Chicago (127 pts.) and the University of Rochester (140 pts.).  Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) posted Emory's top time with a 22:51, good for fifth place en route to First Team All-UAA recognition.  Melissa Jones crossed the finish line in ninth place and earned second-team league acclaim in the process.

Warcyk and Jones figure once again should mount a serious challenge in this year's championship as they have been Emory's most consistent runners, having finished among the top three in all their outings. 

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FINISHES SECOND AT FRONT RUNNER  INVITATIONAL


(Oct. 18) -- The 12th-ranked Emory University men's cross country team recorded a second-place finish out of six teams in the Front Runner Invitational at the Moccasin Bend Course in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Emory finished the 5K race with 43 points, trailing first-place Middle Tennessee State University's 43 points.  Rounding out the field was host UT-Chattanooga (53 pts.), Kennesaw State (69 pts.), Sewanee (135 pts.) and Tennessee State (181 pts.).

Junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) was the top Emory performer, posting a time of 15:15, good for a third-place finish out of 65 runners.  Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was right behind Meade with a showing a 15:18 while Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) turned in a showing of 15:37, good for ninth place. Rounding out the Eagles' scorers were Greg Decker (16:02, 16th place) and Alex Robin (16:07, 18th place).

Emory returns to action when it hosts the University Athletic Association Championships, Nov. 1

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS CONTINUE CAMPAIGNS

(Oct. 16) -  The 2008 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their seasons on Saturday (Oct. 4) when they take part in separate competitions.  The women's team will run at the Jacksonville State University Foothills Invitational while the men's squad takes part in the Front Runner Challenge in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Foothills Invitational will be held at the Oxford Lake & Recreation Center in Oxford, Ala., while the men's event will be conducted at the Moccasin Bend Course starting at 4:00 p.m.   Both competitions will be 5K races.

The Emory men's team, ranked 12th nationally among Division III teams, will be returning to action after taking a break last weekend.  In their last outing, the Eagles, the lone Division III team competing, posted a ninth-place finish out of 24 teams at the Auburn Invitational (Oct. 4).  Juniors Charles Meade (23rd place), Tommy Fyffe (42nd place) and Paul Winterhalter (54th place) all turned in solid performances in the 213-runner field.

The 33rd-ranked women's team recorded an 11th-place showing out of 23 teams at the Auburn Invitational, and were led by senior Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) who crossed the finish line in the 72nd spot out of 206 contestants. 

Following this weekend's action, the Eagles will host the University Athletic Association Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Georgia International Horse Park in nearby Conyers, Ga.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM POSTS 9th-PLACE FINISH AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY'S MEL ROSEN INVITATIONAL


(Oct. 4) -- The 12th-ranked Emory University men's cross country team recorded a ninth-place finish out of 24 teams in the Mel Rosen Orange Race Section at the Auburn University Invitational.  The competition was held at the Indian Pines Golf Course in Auburn, Alabama.

The Eagles, the lone Division III school in the race, finished the competition with 294 points.  Claiming the top spot was host Auburn, ranked 21st among Division I programs, with 31 points while the University of Washington took home runner-up honors with 49 points. Iowa finished third (72 pts.) and Clemson (155 pts.) and Georgia Tech (156 pts.) rounded out the fourth and fifth finishers, respectively.

Junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) led the Emory effort, finishing 23rd overall out of 213 runners with a time of 23:41.97.  Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) was the second Eagle to cross the line with an effort of 24:08, good for the 42nd position. Junior Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) clocked in with a performance of 24:23, placing him 54th.  Rounding out the Emory scorers were senior Nate Ennist (25:20) and Tim Halinski (26:31).

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS COMPETE AT AUBURN INVITATIONAL

(Oct. 1) -  The 2008 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their seasons on Saturday (Oct. 4) when they compete at the Auburn University Invitational.  The event will be held at Indiana Pines Golf Course in Auburn, Alabama.

This year's event will consist of two sections of men's and women's races.  The Emory's women's squad will be part of a 24-team field that will begin its race at 9:30 a.m. Among the squads that will be taking part in the Eagles' section include the University of Georgia, Florida State, Samford, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Purdue and Oregon State.

On the men's side, the Eagles are part of a 27-team field that starts its 8K race at 10:15 a.m.  Some of the programs represented in the competition include LSU, Tulane, the University of Washington, host Auburn, the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.

Both of Emory's teams competed at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis last weekend.  The Eagle men's unit shined in the event, taking home second place out of 31 teams.  Junior Charles Meade paced the pack with a fifth-place finish out of 307 entries with a personal-best 8K time of 25:55.  Juniors Tommy Fyffe (12th, 26:09) and Paul Winterhalter (22nd, 26:27) also registered top-25 finishes.  Emory's performance enabled it to skyrocket up the No. 12 position among NCAA Division III teams, up from the 35th spot prior to the Griak Invitational.

The women's unit, competing without veterans Melissa Jones and Megan Shaughnessy, came in 16th out of 36 teams.  Senior Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) was the team's top runner with a 6K time of 23:52, good for 37th place overall out of 497 runners.  The Eagles are ranked 35th nationally.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM TURNS IN STRONG PERFORMANCE AT GRIAK INVITATIONAL

(Sept. 27) - The Emory University men's cross country team made its presence felt in a big way at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday, recording a second-place finish out of 31 teams.  The meet was held at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Eagles, ranked 35th in the nation, finished with 141 points and trailed only No. 3-ranked UW-La Crosse's first-place total of 52 points.  Rounding out the top five were No. 13 Ohio Northern (147 pts.), No. 26 Hamline (156 pts.) and UW-Platteville (161 pts.).

Junior Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) paced the Emory pack with fifth-place finish out of 307 runners with a personal-best 8K time of 25:55. Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) crossed the line in 12th position with a showing of 26:09 while junior Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) finished 22nd with a time of 26:27.  Senior Nate Ennist's (Bethesda, MD) effort of 27:06 placed him 52nd while junior Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) rounded out the team's scorer with a 56th-place finish (27:13).  Also competing for the Eagles where junior Greg Decker (27:40, 81st) and sophomore Jon Usry (28:33, 127).

Emory returns to action next Saturday (Oct. 4) when it competes at the Auburn University Invitational.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS HEAD TO GRIAK  INVITATIONAL(Sept. 25) - The Emory University men's and women's country teams continue their seasons on Saturday (Sept. 27) when they compete in the 23rd annual Roy Griak Invitational.  The meet will be held at the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course with the women's 6K race scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. and the men's 8K competition at 10:30 a.m.

Approximately 35 Division III teams will be competing at one the nation's most prestigious events.  Races are held for Division I, Division II and Division III intercollegiate teams as well as high schools and other classes or runners.  An anticipated 4,000 athletes are expected to take to the course over 10 races.

Emory men's team, ranked 35th nationally among Division III teams, is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Vanderbilt Invitational last weekend. Junior Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) led the Emory effort with a third-place finish out of 77 runners with a personal-best 8K time of 26:38.  Classmate Greg Decker (Rockville, MD) also turned in a good effort with his time of 27:10.15 good for 14th position.  After sitting out the Vanderbilt meet to focus on this weekend's event, the junior trio of Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA), Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) and Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) look forward to making an impact.

The women's team holds down the No. 21 spot in the national rankings and recorded a third-place finish at the Vanderbilt Invitational.  Senior Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) crossed the finish line in 10th place out of 77 entries with a 5K mark of 19:03.77 while freshman Tess Gallegos (Kennesaw, GA) placed 15th with a 19:16.40.  This weekend will represent the first 6K race of the season for the women's team.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FINISHES FOURTH AT COMMODORE INVITATIONAL

(Sept. 20) - The Emory University men's cross country team turned in a fourth-place out of eight teams at the Commodore Invitational on Saturday.  The event was held in Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn., and hosted by Vanderbilt University.

The Eagles totaled 100 points and trailed host and first-place finisher Vanderbilt (42 pts.), Albany (50 pts.) and Lipscomb (79 pts.). 

Emory's top finisher was junior Alex Robin (Evanston, IL), who recorded a third-place finish in the 77-runner field with an 8K time of 26:38.22.  Junior Greg Decker (Rockville, MD) was the second Eagle to cross the line with an effort of 27:10.15, good for 14th position overall.  Senior Nate Ennist (Bethesda, MD) posted a 24th-place performance (27:35.28) while sophomore Kevin Lanza (Winter Park, FL) and sophomore Jon Usry (Brentwood, TN) rounded out the team's scorers with 30th and 34th-place finishes, respectively. 

Emory returns to action on Sept. 27 when it competes at the Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota.

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS COMPETE AT COMMODORE CLASSIC

(Sept. 19) -  The 2008 Emory University men's and women's cross country teams continue their seasons on Saturday (Sept. 20) when they take part in the Commodore Classic.  The meet will be held at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn., and hosted by Vanderbilt University.  The men's 8000 meters race begins at 9:00 a.m., while the women's 5000 meters event is slated to start at 10:00 a.m.

Among the teams that comprise this year's field are Albany, Belmont, Bethel, Lipscomb, Memphis, Rhodes, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and Vanderbilt.

Head Coach John Curtin's teams swing back into action following a strong performance at the Sewanee Invitational (Sept. 6) with both sides recording second-place finishes out of 16 teams.  

The women were paced by seniors Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH) and Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) who crossed the line in ninth and tenth place, respectively in the 149-runner field. 

The junior trio of Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH), Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) and Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA)  highlighted the men's effort, finishing 3-4-5, respectively, out 173 contestants.

Heading into the Commodore Invitational, the women's team is ranked 19th among Division III teams while the men hold down the No. 32 position.

EMORY MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FINISHES SECOND AT SEWANEE INVITATIONAL(Sept. 6) - The Emory University men's cross country team turned in a solid finish at the 28th annual Sewanee Invitational today, posting a second-place finish out of 16 teams.

The Eagles finished with 41 points and finished runner-up to Mississippi State's 27 points.  Rounding out the top five team finishers were Centre College (91 pts.), University of Evansville (124 pts.) and Lee University (151 pts.).

Emory had runners finish in the 3-4-5 slots in the 173-runner field.  Junior Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) led the Eagles' pack and crossed the line in third place with an 8K time of 25:58.  Juniors Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA) and Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, with times of 26:07 and 26:10.  Two more juniors, Alex Robin (Evanston, IL) and Greg Decker (Rockville, MD), rounded out the team's scorers by turning in top-15 efforts with Robin's showing of 26:52 ranking him 14th and Decker's performance of 26:56 good for the 15th spot.

Emory returns to action on Sept. 20 when it competes at the Commodore Invitational hosted by Vanderbilt University.

EMORY UNIVERSITY MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS COMPETE AT SEWANEE INVITATIONAL

(Sept. 5) - The Emory University men's and women's cross country teams will take part in the 28th annual Sewanee Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 6).  The women's 5K competition begins at 10:00 a.m. while the men's 8k race is slated to start at 11:00 a.m.  The Invitational will be held at the Sewanee Golf Course.

Along with Emory, some of the other teams scheduled to compete include Birmingham Southern, Bryan, Centre, Covenant, Evansville, Gadsden State, Lee, Maryville Mississippi State, Oglethorpe, Piedmont Reinhardt. Rhodes and Tennessee Tech and host Sewanee.

Last year, the Emory men's team recorded a second place finish out of 17 teams while the women's side took home runner-up honors out of 18 squads.  

EMORY CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS OPEN 2008 SEASON (Aug. 28) -  The 2008 Emory University men's and women's cross country make their debut on Friday (Aug. 29) when they venture crosstown to compete against Georgia State.

Head Coach John Curtin and the women's squad are ranked 19th nationally among Division III teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. In addition, that organization has pegged the Eagles as the No. 1 squad in the South/Southeast Region.  Leading the way for this year's team will be seniors Melissa Jones (Zionsville, IN) and Natalie Waryck (Springfield, OH).  Jones, a 2006 All-American, earned Second Team All-University Athletic Association honors as well as All-South/Southeast Region acclaim a year ago.  All totaled, eight letterwinners return from last season's team that captured 17th place at the NCAA Championship.

The men's side is ranked No. 2 in the South/Southeast Region and received votes in the national poll.  The 2007 team earned a spot in the NCAA Championships and welcome back 10 monogram winners including junior Paul Winterhalter (Ardmore, PA), a First Team All-UAA selection and all-region honoree.  Other proven performers include juniors Tommy Fyffe (Cincinnati, OH) and Charles Meade (Wellesley, MA).

"This has been one of the smoothest preseasons that we have had in a long time," Curtin said.  "The kids showed up really fit and we have a strong group both on the men's and women's sides.  I'm encouraged by the way the kids trained over the summer and where we are right now."