CROSS COUNTRY

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Jenny Koeppel

BUFFALO, NY - Temperatures in the mid-60s and sustained 20-30 mph winds with higher gusts greeted the runners along the banks of the Niagara River as the University at Buffalo men's and women's cross country teams rolled to victories on Saturday at the 2004 UB Open at Beaver Island State Park on Grand Island.

The UB women placed five racers among the top six finishers to score 18 points en route to the team title with Roberts Weslayan finishing second at 48 points. Niagara (91), Daemen (101), Tri-State (IN) (126) and Medaille (177) rounded out the women's scoring. The UB men scored 20 points to hold off second-place Roberts Wesleyan (56) with Tri-State (IN) (67), Niagara (104), Finger Lakes CC (158) and Daemen (162) completing the field.

In the women's race, UB senior Jenny Koeppel (Amherst, NY/Amherst) ran away from the rest of the 60-runner field to take the 5K event in 17:59.35. Koeppel finished more than 25 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, junior teammate Jen Jezorski (Elmira, NY/Elmira Southside). Jezorski clocked in at 18:25.84.

Kelli O'Brien (Clifton Springs, NY/Manchester-Shortsville) was fourth overall in 18:47.20. Aleksandra Bykowska (Poznan, Poland/Third High School in Poznan) took fifth in 19:04.09. Jennie Donofrio (Pittsford, NY/Penfield) was sixth in 19:21.91 to close the UB scoring with 18 points.

Two other UB women's runners finished in the top 10 with Brigid Horigan (Galway, NY/Galway) taking eighth in 19:32.72 and Megan Housel (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) crossing the finish line 10th in 19:42.91.

Andy Wigton

The men's 8K race was won by Roberts Wesleyan freshman Julius Rono in 26:00.93 but eight UB runners were among the next nine finishers to ensure the team title for the Bulls. Junior Andy Wigton (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) was second overall, just 10 seconds behind Rono in 26:10.38. Sophomore Nate Lockett (Lansing, NY/Lansing) was third in 26:43.01. The men's field consisted of 56 runners.

UB's men took spots five through 10 with John Flor (Albion, NY/Albion) finishing fifth in 26:46.69. Steve Strelick (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) was sixth in 26:48.77. Ben Cady (Buffalo, NY/City Honors) was seventh in 27:01.93. Brian Smith (Rochester, NY/East Rochester) was eighth in 27:14.15. Onile White (Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton) rounded out the UB scoring with a ninth-place clocking of 27:70.70. Andy Leonard (Spencerport, NY/Churchville-Chili) was 10th in 27:33.91 as the eighth UB runner to cross the finish line.

The Bulls return to action next Saturday against a very competitive field at the Penn State Invitational. The race should serve as a good warmup for UB's following competition, the Mid-American Conference Championships in Toledo on October 30.