Distance Runners Shine at Mt. SAC and Long Beach

Mountaineer distance runners earned 8 national qualifying marks this weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays and the Long Beach Invitational in Los Angeles, California. The Mountaineers were led by Kim Hogarth who ran the fastest 5000 meter time in NCAA II with a 13:44.26 at the Mount Sac Relays and then came back with another qualifying mark in the 1500 at Long Beach the next day – 3:50.88. Hogarth also has the top time in the nation in the 3000 meter Steeplechase with a mark of 8:38. Two 10,000 meter runners, Oliver Bodor and Aaron Clark also qualified for the NCAA meet. Bodor ran the 2nd fastest time in WSC history – 28:44.71, a mark only surpassed by 12 time national champion Michael Aish. Clark ran 29:59.32. Scott Dahlberg ran 3:51.91 in the 1500 to qualify and came back to win 9:23 in the 3000 meter Steeplechase. Freshman Kris Berry had two outstanding performances, running 3:48.72 at Mt. SAC in the 1500 and 1:52.37 in the 800 at Long Beach. For the women, 10,000 meter runners Natalie Provost and Shannon Filar qualified with marks of 36:55.66 and 36:58.04. Junior John Butkey ran a provisional qualifying time of 14:43 at Mt. SAC.

This weekend, the mountaineers will compete in the Adams State invitational in Alamosa. All of the runners who ran in California will remain home doing a tempo run while the rest of the team competes in preparation for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship meet in Alamosa on May 6-7-8.

  The 1986 Western College cross Country team which tied Adams State for the NAIA national championship will be inducted into the mountaineer Hall of Fame in ceremonies on September 28.  The Team was the 1st of 12 national championship teams since that time. Members of the team included Eduardo Navas, Steve Cathcart, Jose Rojas, Steve Roch, Frank Oropeza, Doug Meade and Juan Diaz.