Gators Finish 4th and 3rd at SEC Cross Country

Monday, October 29

Auburn, AL

12:00 AM

Florida Gators

SEC Championship

Gators Finish 4th and 3rd at SEC Cross Country

Monday, October 29, 2001 | Cross Country

The University of Florida men's and women's cross country team fared well at the 2001 Southeastern Conference Championships held this morning at Indian Pines Golf Course on the campus of Auburn University. The men's team placed fourth in the first race of the day, while the women were third.

The top finisher for the men was junior Rolando Ortiz with a time of 24:54.54 in 13th place. Ortiz earned All-SEC honors for his career-best finish. Also earning All- SEC recognition for the men was senior Chris Duncan in 15^th place with a time of 25:00.15. It marks the second time in his career he earned the honor. He also was named to the All-SEC team last season. Moise Joseph clocked a career-best time of 25:11.55 to be Florida's third finisher and 17^th overall.

"We had our top four guys run pretty well today," said head coach Doug Brown. "The frustrating thing for me is that you score five. We needed a fifth man and we could have been second today."

Arkansas took the team title for the 12th time. David Kimani from Alabama was the individual champion with a time of 23:46.93.

The top finisher for the women was senior Erin Merten. Merten finished in 4th place overall with a time of 19:44.04 for the first All-SEC distinction of her career. The time was Merten's best ever in a 6K race and shattered the school record for that distance, which she previously held. Fellow senior Nona Allen was the Gators' second finisher in 17^th place with a time of 20:35.02. All of the Florida athletes recorded new career-best 6K times.

"Erin performed well for us today," said women's head coach J.J. Clark. "For all that has happened to us going into this year, with Hilary White transferring and another athlete expected to be one of our top five not being able to run, and Carling Cookerly, our number two runner for most of the season not feeling well today, I feel fortunate with placing third. The runners that ran for us today gave it their best and I am pleased with that."

Arkansas won the team title, their fourth straight. Andreina Byrd from Arkansas won the individual title with a time of 19:07.29.

Both the men and the women will have some time off before NCAA South Regionals on November 10 in Birmingham, Ala. The race will be their most important of the season, as it will determine whether or not the teams will advance to the NCAA Championships in Greenville, S.C.

Men's Team Results