CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - Joshua Sawe and David Rooney finished two-three and led McNeese State to a second place finish in the Southland Conference cross country championship here Saturday morning.

    It was the highest finish in the meet by the Cowboys in the past five years.  The Cowgirls, led by a third place showing from Tinette Burger, placed fifth in their division.

    Lamar won the men's championship and Texas A&M Corpus Christi took the women's title.  Lamar had 38 points while the Cowboys ran second with 65 points followed by UTSA with 86, SFA 87, TAM Corpus 127, SE Louisiana 162, UTA 204, Sam Houston State 221, Texas State 222, Central Arkansas 288, Northwestern State 342 and Nicholls State 358.

    TAM Corpus scored 58 points to win the women's championship while SFA had 82, UTA 105, UTSA 115, McNeese 128, Nicholls State 157, Lamar 157, Texas State 173, Sam Houston 235, SE Louisiana 237, Central Arkansas 271 and Northwestern State 294.

    "It was a very good showing by our team," said McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy.  "All of them did their very best.  We had PRs (personal records) from all of them and I am very pleased with the results."

    Sawe, who is in his first season of running for the Cowboys, ran 24:06 over the 8K course, bowing to champion Francis Kasagule of Lamar by only 12 seconds.  Rooney ran third with a 24:13 effort.

    Also for the Cowboys, Johnathan Koenck finished 11th at 24:37, Jarrett LeBlanc was 18th at 25:19, Ryan Barrow was 32nd at 25:57, Edwin Koenck 43rd at 26:28, Kevin Laughlin 55th at 27:08 and Matt Fontenot 70th at 28:15.

    In the women's race Burger posted a 21:16 effort for the 6K run for her third place finish.  The champion was TAM Corpus Christi's Anne Ronoh who posted a 20:44 clocking.

    Alvy Carragher ran second for the Cowgirls with a 22:18 finish for 27th place while Amy Guinn was 30th at 22:24.  Also for the Cowgirls, Aisling Casey was 33rd with a 22:32 clocking, Candice McCormick finished 35th at 22:37 and Fionnuala Ross was 40th at 22:53.

 
                            2009 Southland Conference                            
                           Cross Country Championship                            
                West Guth Park, Corpus Christi, TX  - 10/31/2009                 
 
Event 1  Men 8k Run CC
=======================================================================          
    Name                    Year School                  Finals  Points          
=======================================================================          
  1  #32 Francis Kasagule     SR Lamar                    23:54    1             
  2  #48 Joshua Sawe          JR McNeese State            24:06    2             
  3  #47 David Rooney         SO McNeese State            24:13    3             
  4  #92 Mitch Ownbey         SO Stephen F. Austin        24:16    4             
  5  #30 Joonas Harjamaki     JR Lamar                    24:20    5             
  6 #124 Kalphys Kemboi          Southeastern LA          24:23    6             
  7 #190 Layne Nixon          SO UTSA                     24:24    7             
  8  #25 Bob Abimbisibwe      FR Lamar                    24:24    8             
  9 #128 Henry Rop            JR Southeastern LA          24:25    9             
 10  #26 Drew Bean            JR Lamar                    24:31   10             
 11  #44 Johnathon Koenck     JR McNeese State            24:37   11             
 12  #96 Dennis Yeats         JR Stephen F. Austin        24:41   12             
 13  #90 Keith Mahipala       SR Stephen F. Austin        24:51   13             
 14  #29 Alejandro DeLaGarza  FR Lamar                    25:01   14             
 15  #12 Patrick Kimeli       FR TAMCC                    25:03   15             
 16  #11 Jordan Valle         FR TAMCC                    25:11   16             
 17 #191 Cole Reveal          SO UTSA                     25:14   17             
 18  #46 Jarrett LeBlanc      SO McNeese State            25:19   18             
 19 #188 Michael Cook         SO UTSA                     25:24   19             
 20  #28 Maarten VanDyck      FR Lamar                    25:25   20             
 21 #187 Brandon Chiuminetta  SO UTSA                     25:26   21             
 22 #186 Albert Cardenas      SO UTSA                     25:27   22             
 23 #189 Corey Vargas         SR UTSA                     25:29   23             
 24 #185 Daniel Balbontin     FR UTSA                     25:31   24             
 25  #16 Eloy Zertuche        JR TAMCC                    25:35   25             
 26 #192 Jim Stitt            FR UTSA                     25:44                  
 27 #139 Michael Morris       SO Texas State              25:47   26             
 28  #31 Kyle Hawley          FR Lamar                    25:49   27             
 29  #93 Xavier Rodriguez     SO Stephen F. Austin        25:50   28             
 30 #170 Zach Zura            JR UT Arlington             25:51   29             
 31  #91 Harmon McClanahan    SO Stephen F. Austin        25:57   30             
 32  #41 Ryan Barrow          SR McNeese State            25:57   31             
 33 #121 Nelphat Boit         JR Southeastern LA          25:58   32             
 34 #172 Eric Montou          FR UT Arlington             26:03   33             
 35  #95 Logan Smart          SO Stephen F. Austin        26:05   34             
 36  #15 Scott Vance          JR TAMCC                    26:07   35             
 37  #13 Curtis Patton        FR TAMCC                    26:10   36             
 38 #137 Hugo Corral          SO Texas State              26:19   37             
 39   #9 Daniel Barlow        SO TAMCC                    26:22   38             
 40  #14 Arisel Perez         JR TAMCC                    26:23   39             
 41 #106 Blake Woolums        SO Sam Houston State        26:24   40             
 42 #107 Joseph D'Eramo       SO Sam Houston State        26:26   41             
 43  #27 Randy Becker         SR Lamar                    26:26                  
 44  #10 Kirk Dalhiem         SR TAMCC                    26:27                  
 45 #110 Julius Michael       JR Sam Houston State        26:28   42             
 46  #43 Edwin Koenck         FR McNeese State            26:28   43             
 47 #141 Jesus Ordas          FR Texas State              26:29   44             
 48 #109 Patrick Krol         FR Sam Houston State        26:34   45             
 49 #176 Ken Wallace          FR UT Arlington             26:37   46             
 50 #175 Heinz Schwarzkopf    JR UT Arlington             26:45   47             
 51  #89 Sam Hulse            SO Stephen F. Austin        26:52   48             
 52 #169 Cody Widener         FR UT Arlington             26:57   49             
 53  #94 Adam Saloom          SO Stephen F. Austin        27:00                  
 54 #158 Tony Stewart         FR Central Arkansas         27:06   50             
 55  #45 Kevin Laughlin       SO McNeese State            27:08   51              
 56 #153 Logan Dockery        JR Central Arkansas         27:11   52             
 57 #105 Clint Anders         FR Sam Houston State        27:14   53             
 58 #125 Jessie McDavitt         Southeastern LA          27:17   54             
 59 #155 Chris Gray           SO Central Arkansas         27:21   55             
 60  #74 Dusty Dischler       JR Northwestern State       27:24   56             
 61 #140 Matt Novak           JR Texas State              27:31   57             
 62 #138 Andres Herrera       FR Texas State              27:41   58             
 63 #144 Chase Teinert        FR Texas State              27:48   59             
 64 #157 Brad Kintner         FR Central Arkansas         27:51   60             
 65 #127 Scott Richardson        Southeastern LA          27:54   61             
 66 #126 Jaron Ortega            Southeastern LA          28:03   62             
 67 #171 Hance Loyd           FR UT Arlington             28:04   63             
 68  #73 Josh Crandell        FR Northwestern State       28:11   64             
 69 #123 Kyle Golden          JR Southeastern LA          28:15   65             
 70  #42 Matt Fontenot        SR McNeese State            28:15                  
 71  #61 Jordan Reed          FR Nicholls State           28:19   66             
 72 #174 Darren Rous          JR UT Arlington             28:21   67             
 73  #77 Kyle Lessig          FR Northwestern State       28:21   68             
 74 #112 Ray Venegas          JR Sam Houston State        28:28   69             
 75  #58 Tyler Folse          SO Nicholls State           28:37   70             
 76 #159 Matt Woods           FR Central Arkansas         28:43   71             
 77  #59 Joby Fryou           JR Nicholls State           28:48   72             
 78  #60 Ross Mullooly        FR Nicholls State           28:50   73             
 79 #111 Matt Stephenson      SO Sam Houston State        29:03   74             
 80 #108 Travis Kocurek       JR Sam Houston State        29:11                  
 81 #154 Stephon Ferriel      SO Central Arkansas         29:14   75             
 82  #75 Chris Lanier         FR Northwestern State       29:30   76             
 83  #40 Justin Babin         SO Nicholls State           29:38   77             
 84  #78 Cameron Mehl         JR Northwestern State       29:57   78             
 85 #156 Tanner Hubbard       SO Central Arkansas         30:08   79             
 86 #122 Zac Dufrene          JR Southeastern LA          30:18                  
 87  #62 Dylan Williams       FR Nicholls State           31:23   80             
 88  #63 Matt Lanier          FR Northwestern State       31:58   81             
 89  #79 Breshon Williams     SO Northwestern State       31:58   82             
                                                                                 
                                   Team Scores                                   
=================================================================================
Rank Team                      Total    1    2    3    4    5   *6   *7   *8   *9
=================================================================================
   1 Lamar                        38    1    5    8   10   14   20   27          
      Total Time:  2:02:10.00                                                    
         Average:    24:26.00                                                    
   2 McNeese State                65    2    3   11   18   31   43   51          
      Total Time:  2:04:12.00                                                    
         Average:    24:50.40                                                    
   3 UTSA                         86    7   17   19   21   22   23   24          
      Total Time:  2:05:55.00                                                    
         Average:    25:11.00                                                    
   4 Stephen F. Austin            87    4   12   13   28   30   34   48          
      Total Time:  2:05:35.00                                                    
         Average:    25:07.00                                                    
   5 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi    127   15   16   25   35   36   38   39          
      Total Time:  2:08:06.00                                                    
         Average:    25:37.20                                                    
   6 Southeastern Louisiana      162    6    9   32   54   61   62   65          
      Total Time:  2:09:57.00                                                    
         Average:    25:59.40                                                    
   7 UT Arlington                204   29   33   46   47   49   63   67          
      Total Time:  2:12:13.00                                                    
         Average:    26:26.60                                                    
   8 Sam Houston State           221   40   41   42   45   53   69   74          
      Total Time:  2:13:06.00                                                    
         Average:    26:37.20                                                    
   9 Texas State                 222   26   37   44   57   58   59               
      Total Time:  2:13:47.00                                                    
         Average:    26:45.40                                                    
  10 Central Arkansas            288   50   52   55   60   71   75   79          

Total Time:  2:18:12.00                                                    
         Average:    27:38.40                                                    
  11 Northwestern State          342   56   64   68   76   78   81   82          
      Total Time:  2:23:23.00                                                    
         Average:    28:40.60                                                    
  12 Nicholls State              358   66   70   72   73   77   80               
      Total Time:  2:24:12.00                                                    
2009 Southland Conference                            
                           Cross Country Championship                            
                West Guth Park, Corpus Christi, TX  - 10/31/2009                 
 
Event 2  Women 6k Run CC
=======================================================================          
    Name                    Year School                  Finals  Points          
=======================================================================          
  1   #8 Anne Ronoh           SR TAMCC                    20:44    1             
  2 #182 Kayla Pratt          SO UTSA                     20:51    2             
  3  #33 Tinette Burger       SR McNeese State            21:16    3             
  4  #21 Samantha Walkow      FR Lamar                    21:20    4             
  5 #180 Dana Mecke           SR UTSA                     21:23    5             
  6  #87 Amy Shackelford      JR Stephen F. Austin        21:26    6             
  7 #183 Pernilla Savestrand  SR UTSA                     21:34    7             
  8  #53 Lauren Jones         JR Nicholls State           21:37    8             
  9  #85 Megan Jenkins        JR Stephen F. Austin        21:37    9             
 10   #4 BreAnna Briggs       FR TAMCC                    21:40   10             
 11 #162 Jennifer Carey       SO UT Arlington             21:41   11             
 12 #117 Dorcus Kapkiai       SO Southeastern LA          21:42   12             
 13  #86 Haley Parsons        FR Stephen F. Austin        21:44   13             
 14   #6 Sarah De Los Santos  JR TAMCC                    21:47   14             
 15   #2 Faith Barlow         SR TAMCC                    21:48   15             
 16 #129 Steffanie Armstrong  SO Texas State              21:51   16             
 17 #164 Perri Ford           JR UT Arlington             21:53   17             
 18   #5 Meghan Lemke         SR TAMCC                    21:54   18             
 19 #166 Amanda McMahon       JR UT Arlington             21:57   19             
 20  #51 Dakota Goodman       FR Nicholls State           22:02   20             
 21  #18 Karin Svensson       FR Lamar                    22:02   21             
 22 #163 Lydia Chebii         JR UT Arlington             22:04   22             
 23   #3 Courtney Johnson     JR TAMCC                    22:04   23             
 24  #50 Brea Goodman         FR Nicholls State           22:05   24             
 25  #88 Randi Wymer          FR Stephen F. Austin        22:11   25             
 26   #7 Sheila Salil         JR TAMCC                    22:12   26             
 27  #34 Alvy Carragher       SO McNeese State            22:18   27             
 28  #20 Emily Carpenter      SO Lamar                    22:20   28             
 29  #81 Meredith Blocker     JR Stephen F. Austin        22:24   29             
 30  #36 Amy Guinn            JR McNeese State            22:24   30             
 31 #133 Maria Lopez          FR Texas State              22:28   31             
 32 #130 Heather Bullin       SR Texas State              22:29   32             
 33  #35 Aisling Casey        SO McNeese State            22:32   33             
 34  #83 Marie Flores         JR Stephen F. Austin        22:34   34             
 35  #37 Candice McCormick    SO McNeese State            22:37   35             
 36 #168 Marissa Paz          FR UT Arlington             22:44   36             
 37 #116 Naomi Jeruto            Southeastern LA          22:46   37             
 38 #181 Courtney Nelson      SO UTSA                     22:48   38             
 39 #102 Victoria Gemeny      SO Sam Houston State        22:51   39             
 40  #38 Fionnuala Ross       FR McNeese State            22:53   40             
 41  #98 Sara Collazos        SO Sam Houston State        22:54   41             
 42 #101 Kylie Fitzgerald     FR Sam Houston State        22:55   42             
 43 #136 Sandra Venegas       SO Texas State              22:58   43             
 44  #65 Karensa Ellis        FR Northwestern State       22:59   44             
 45 #146 Heather Estetter     SO Central Arkansas         23:05   45             
 46 #145 Courtney Efurd       FR Central Arkansas         23:11   46             
 47  #97 Haleigh Pustka       SO Sam Houston State        23:18   47             
 48  #82 Brette Fleming-Wood  SO Stephen F. Austin        23:23   48             
 49  #56 Kadi Whisnant        JR Nicholls State           23:24   49             
 50  #24 Nora-Beth Saunders   FR Lamar                    23:26   50             
 51 #131 Dana Dolejsi         SO Texas State              23:28   51             
 52 #167 Christina Mose       SR UT Arlington             23:31   52             
 53 #115 Kim Gastinell        SR Southeastern LA          23:33   53             
 54  #19 Daisy Cantu          SO Lamar                    23:36   54             
 55  #67 Allison Fontenot     FR Northwestern State       23:45   55             
 56  #55 Jessica McCleod      JR Nicholls State           23:47   56             
57 #150 Dacey Mitchell       FR Central Arkansas         23:48   57             
 58  #66 Sarah Emory          FR Northwestern State       23:51   58             
 59 #161 Esther Abuto         JR UT Arlington             23:56   59             
 60 #134 Amanda McKinney      JR Texas State              23:59   60             
 61 #147 Brittani Johnson     SO Central Arkansas         24:02   61             
 62 #152 Sabrina Peterman     FR Central Arkansas         24:02   62             
 63 #178 Jessica Bitterly     FR UTSA                     24:04   63             
 64  #54 Imma Kosgei          JR Nicholls State           24:13   64             
 65  #72 Andrea Warren        JR Northwestern State       24:14   65             
 66  #99 Crystal Santos       FR Sam Houston State        24:15   66             
 67 #113 Bethany Burst           Southeastern LA          24:30   67             
 68 #114 Ernestine Carodine   SR Southeastern LA          24:31   68             
 69  #17 Marlou Bijlsma       FR Lamar                    24:35   69             
 70 #104 Haley Peddy          FR Sam Houston State        24:43   70             
 71 #100 Megan Williams       SR Sam Houston State        24:51   71             
 72  #70 Redd Williams        JR Northwestern State       25:12   72             
 73  #52 Skyla Jackson        FR Nicholls State           25:14   73             
 74 #148 Kayleigh Lewellyn    FR Central Arkansas         25:20   74             
 75 #119 Courtney Schultheis  JR Southeastern LA          25:43   75             
 76  #71 Lawana Perkins       SO Northwestern State       25:54   76             
 77  #69 Kirstie Jones        FR Northwestern State       26:00   77             
 78 #165 Sophia Yousefi       FR UT Arlington             26:02                  
 79  #68 Courtney Hershberge  JR Northwestern State       26:12                  
 80 #179 Rebecca Crain        FR UTSA                     26:30   78             
 81  #23 Sharon Sason         FR Lamar                    26:49   79             
 82 #151 Emily Parker         SO Central Arkansas         26:56   80             
 83 #149 Heidi Miller         GR Central Arkansas         28:09                  
 84 #118 Esther Kemboi        JR Southeastern LA          28:17   81             
     #84 Stephanie Ganter     SO Stephen F. Austin        DQ   (cut course w/100m to go)
                                                                                 
                                   Team Scores                                   
=================================================================================
Rank Team                      Total    1    2    3    4    5   *6   *7   *8   *9
=================================================================================
   1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi     58    1   10   14   15   18   23   26          
      Total Time:  1:47:53.00                                                    
         Average:    21:34.60                                                    
   2 Stephen F. Austin            82    6    9   13   25   29   34   48          
      Total Time:  1:49:22.00                                                    
         Average:    21:52.40                                                    
   3 UT Arlington                105   11   17   19   22   36   52   59          
      Total Time:  1:50:19.00                                                    
         Average:    22:03.80                                                    
   4 UTSA                        115    2    5    7   38   63   78               
      Total Time:  1:50:40.00                                                    
         Average:    22:08.00                                                    
   5 McNeese State               128    3   27   30   33   35   40               
      Total Time:  1:51:07.00                                                    
         Average:    22:13.40                                                    
   6 Nicholls State              157    8   20   24   49   56   64   73          
      Total Time:  1:52:55.00                                                    
         Average:    22:35.00                                                    
   6 Lamar                       157    4   21   28   50   54   69   79          
      Total Time:  1:52:44.00                                                    
         Average:    22:32.80                                                    
   8 Texas State                 173   16   31   32   43   51   60               
      Total Time:  1:53:14.00                                                    
         Average:    22:38.80                                                    
   9 Sam Houston State           235   39   41   42   47   66   70   71          
      Total Time:  1:56:13.00                                                    
         Average:    23:14.60                                                    
  10 Southeastern Louisiana      237   12   37   53   67   68   75   81          
      Total Time:  1:57:02.00                                                    
         Average:    23:24.40                                                    
  11 Central Arkansas            271   45   46   57   61   62   74   80          
      Total Time:  1:58:08.00                                                    
         Average:    23:37.60                                                    
12 Northwestern State          294   44   55   58   65   72   76   77          
      Total Time:  2:00:01.00                                                    
         Average:    24:00.20