University of Houston Athletics
Cross Country Preview
8/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Aug. 25, 2008
HOUSTON--The men and women's cross-country teams will have some new names on the roster this season. The men's team signed nine new freshmen and the women's team added six.
"We've signed some very competitive and talented kids and they are going to be good people for the future of our program. They are excited to come to UH, and proud to be Cougars," second-year head coach Ryan Turner said on the incoming freshmen.
For the women's team, junior Erica Hannemann from Dayton, Texas will be a top runner from last year's team and has put extra training in this summer.
"I am really excited about our women's team and especially this group of freshmen that we have coming in. Megan Munoz and Starla Garcia have developed well over the past year and it would not surprise me if they come in and compete as two our top runners as freshmen," Turner said.
For the men's team, junior Ahmed Harb from Nassau, Texas and junior Mauricio Morales from Emporia, Kan. will be the top runners for the 2008 season. Two incoming freshmen, Nate Pineda of San Antonio and Brandon Broden from Brownsville are class 5A qualifiers this past track season.
"As a team, all of our guys are really putting in a great summer of training and it'll be exciting to see them emerge as a group of solid runners," Turner said.
The 2008 cross-country teams are looking to improve the men's fifth place and women's 11th place finish in the 2007 conference meet.
Off the Track Not only is the men's team working hard on the field, but they are also working hard in the classroom. The men's cross country team received the Conference USA Sports Academic award for the 2007-08 season with a cumulative GPA of 3.50, for the highest GPA among the league's men's cross country teams.
2008 Schedule The 2008 season will kick off as the Cougars play host to the Johnny Morriss UH Invitational, Friday.
UH will return to action Sept. 20, traveling across town to Rice to compete in the Rice Invitational.
The following two meets will be spent on the road starting with the LSU Tiger Festival on Sept. 27, followed by the Walt Disney World Classic in Orlando on Oct. 11.
Houston will return to Texas on Oct. 18 and compete in the Sam Houston Invitational before traveling to Memphis, Tenn. for the Conference USA Championships on Nov. 1.
The NCAA South Central Regional will be held in Waco, Texas on Nov. 15 and the NCAA Championships will be held on Nov. 24 in Terre Haute, Ind.
"I really like our schedule this year. For one, we have a good balance of developmental and quality meets for our athletes to compete in. Secondly, I like that we're competing closer to home. This will give our alumni, family and friends more opportunities to see us compete," Turner said.
For more information on the 2008 cross-country team or for ticket information, visit UHCougars.com.
Players Mentioned
