Sept. 30, 2006

AUBURN, Ala. - On the line for their first big race of the season, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks responded in kind. The `Jacks placed three runners in the Top 10 individually, highlighted by a fifth-place showing from senior Marc Farris, as they ran to a first-place finish in the Auburn Invitational. SFA scored 45 points to finish 14 points ahead of second-place Georgia, of the Southeastern Conference. In the women's race, SFA finished fourth as a team behind senior Ashley Monteau's fifth-place performance.

"We basically went out and accomplished our goals for the meet on both sides," SFA cross country coach Lou Snelling said. "We were running without a few of our veterans on the men's side, but the guys that competed accepted the challenge."

Farris led the men's team with his time of 23:59.29 on the 8,000-meter course. Classmate Chance Edwards crossed the line two spots behind Farris in seventh with a time of 24:09.98, and sophomore Keith Mahipala finished in 10th place with a time of 24:18.97.

"Marc ran extremely well," Snelling said. "Chance and Keith also stepped it up. I was very happy with their efforts."

Sophomores Cole Hollingsworth and Teddy Fanta rounded out the Lumberjack scoring runners, finishing 14th and 16th, respectively. Hollingsoworth finished in 24:44.30, while Fanta recorded a time of 24:45.80. Aaron Hohn ran to a 32nd-place showing with a time of 25:10.71. Gerardo Moreno crossed the line 55th with a time of 25:33.32, and Conor Gillen turned in a 58th-place finish with a time of 25:35.87. Robert Smith ran a time of 26:10.26 to finish 82nd, and Edy Vargas turned in a time of 26:17.48 for an 86th-place performance.

In the women's race, Monteau completed the 5,000-meter course in 17:00.07 to take fifth. The next-best Ladyjack finish was LaKoa McKeever's 24th-place finish and time of 17:55.63. Katrina Nicholas raced to a time of 18:04.94 and 31st place. Heather Adams and Mandy Willis finished 44th and 45th, respectively with times of 18:18.75 and 18:19.76 to round out the SFA scoring runners.

"For Ashley, this was her first race of the season," Snelling said. "For her to run the way she did was very impressive. I thought the women's team, on the whole, ran very well. Especially considering that they hadn't done anything, race-wise, in three weeks."

Amber Bagwell turned in a time of 18:31.07 and a 55th-place finish, while Chelsea Bradford chased her across the line in 56th place with a time of 18:31.31. Kimbri Lettkeman finished 64th with a time of 18:36.89, Kirsten Wieseman ran a time of 18:47.19 to finish 72nd, and Megan Jenkins clocked in at 19:01.14 in 89th place. Megan Williams recorded a time of 19:41.73.

Both teams will be back in action on Oct. 14. The Lumberjacks will head to Terre Haute, Ind., for the Pre-NCAA Championships, while the Ladyjacks head to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Chile Pepper Festival.

-- SFA --