Cross country prepares for last WAC Championships
Men’s, women’s teams ready for Saturday’s
meet in Tulsa
By Ram Luthra
skiff staff
The TCU men’s and women’s cross country runners will make their final appearance in the Western Athletic Conference Saturday at the Western Athletic Conference Championships at Mohawk Park in Tulsa, Okla.
The teams will make the move to run in Conference USA next fall.
The women’s squad will begin competition in the 5,000-meter race at 1 p.m. The men will follow with the 8,000-meter race at 2 p.m.
Cross country coach Dan Waters said the team is prepared for the meet.
“We enter this meet like all the others,” Waters said. “Our primary goal is to compete hard and win, while coming out of the competition healthy.”
Over the week, Waters said the runners were focused mentally. He said the weather will play a key role and is a major concern. It’s been raining on a daily basis in Tulsa, and the ground is wet and muddy, Waters said.
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Special to the Skiff
Juniors Herbert Mwangi and Eliud Njubi run side-by-side at the 28th Memorial Cross Country Pre-National Meet in Ames, Iowa Oct. 15. The duo will set the pace for the men’s team at the Western Athletic Conference Championships Saturday at Mohawk Park in Tulsa, Okla. |
“We have been paying a lot of attention to the small details during this past week,” Waters said. “We know we can run on a high-level because we’ve been doing it all year, so we now are concentrating on the intangibles. If we can cover those, then we will be OK.”
The Frogs have two favorites on the men’s side in the individual competition, Waters said. TCU is led by junior-transfer Eliud Njubi and junior-transfer Herbert Mwangi.
Njubi and Mwangi have recorded some of the best times among all WAC runners in the 8,000-meters run this season. Njubi tallied a season-best time of 24:12 at the Oklahoma State Jamboree in September while Mwangi ran 15 seconds behind.
“I believe we a have great shot in both the individual and team competition for the men,” Waters said. “But a lot of things can happen with good, solid teams out there like Texas-El Paso, Rice and (Southern Methodist).”
Over the course of the year, the women’s squad has finished first in team standings in three meets and have finished first in the last two meets. The Frogs are led by junior Glady’s Keitany and sophomore Robin Schacht. Keitany has collected three individual titles and one third-place finish this year. Schacht has finished in the top five in every race this season.
“Both of them have been preparing and getting ready for this competition,” Waters said. “They have worked hard and should perform well.”
Waters said the Frogs will need solid performances from the young runners on the women’s squad to have a good showing this weekend. He said the course is well-suited for those young runners.
“(Mohawk Park) is a flat course, and that is a plus for runners like (junior) Georgeanne Biancardi, (freshman) Allie Koons and (freshman) Cindy Dietrich,” Waters said.
Waters said he believes the women are confident and focused on winning.
“For us to be successful, we need a total team effort,” Waters said. “All nine runners to need to have the same goal to win the championship. Everyone has been a bit nervous this week, but that is good because it will turn into eagerness and hunger for victory.”
Ram Luthra
r.d.luthra@student.tcu.edu
one last chance
Frogs try to break four-year losing streak against longtime nemesis Rice
By Chad Carey
staff reporter
These days things are good for the TCU football program.
The Frogs are ranked No. 11 in the country by both The Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ polls. They have the second longest winning streak in the nation at 11 games and are ranked No. 13 in the Bowl Championship Series.
But for TCU to keep their momentum, both at home and nationally, headed in the right direction, it must beat an old nemesis this weekend in the Rice Owls.
The history between the Frogs and Owls goes back about 86 years. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie on Oct. 24, 1914, in the first-ever meeting. The series, which TCU leads 40-35-3, has been a permanent fixture on both teams’ schedules since Nov. 10, 1928.
This year, the Horned Frogs (6-0, 3-0 Western Athletic Conference) come into the annual matchup with some extra incentive. This will be the last time the Owls and Frogs play each other as a regular fixture on the schedule. TCU is leaving for Conference USA next year and will not face Rice. The Frogs have lost four consecutive games to the Owls, their longest losing streak of the 78-game series.
It is unclear why the Owls have been such a thorn in the side of the Frogs lately, but TCU coach Dennis Franchione said he has somewhat of an idea.
“Rice always plays good against us,” Franchione said. “We don’t look at Rice as a rival. I have not felt that way since I’ve been here, but they look at us that way. Since we’re leaving the conference, that gives them some extra motivation.”
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FILE PHOTO
Former TCU linebacker Joe Phipps tries to make a stop against Rice at Amon Carter Stadium in 1998. Phipps was a part of the last TCU team that defeated Rice in 1995. |
TCU’s current four-game losing streak to Rice began with a 30-17 loss to the Owls on Nov. 8, 1996. In 1997, TCU lost to everyone on the schedule except Southern Methodist.
In 1998, the Frogs and Owls battled down to the wire in rainy conditions. TCU missed a 48-yard field goal with little time remaining on the clock, and eventually lost 14-12. Last season, the Frogs took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, then gave up 35-straight points and lost 42-21.
This year, the Owls (2-5, 1-3 WAC) come into the game with 11th-ranked rushing offense in the nation. Rice runs a spread option that allows them to run the option from just about any offensive formation.
ranchione said the game against Navy, another team with an option offense, was good for his team, but said it won’t tell the whole story as to what to expect from Rice.
“There are some similarities between Rice and Navy, but there are some differences.” Franchione said. “Rice has a much better power game than Navy, and they pose more problems offensively.”
The Frogs will counter Rice’s spread option with the No. 1-ranked defense in the country. The Frogs are also ranked No. 1 in scoring defense (8.5 points a game).
As far as motivation goes, Franchione said he didn’t expect the Frogs to be flat for Saturday’s game.
“I don’t think I have to say much this week,” Franchione said. “Our players know what’s at stake.”
Chad Carey
chadcarey@mindspring.com