Thursday, October 25
New Orleans, La.
8 AM
Tulsa
at
American Athletic Conference Championships
Photo by: Parker Waters
TU Men Claim Ninth Consecutive Conference Title, Women Earn Runner-Up Finish
10/25/2018 12:24:00 PM | Cross Country
Championship Results (.pdf)
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The University of Tulsa men's cross country team claimed its ninth consecutive conference title, and fifth-straight American Athletic Conference crown, while the women's team finished in second place on a rainy day at the American Athletic Conference Championships.
The Golden Hurricane men's squad placed six runners in the top 12 of the 8K race as Scott Beattie (2nd/27:09.02), Peter Lynch (4th/27:29.85), Cameron Field (7th/27:50.00), Isaac Akers (8th/27:51.33), Austin Del Rosso (11th/27:51.33) and Adam Breaux (12th/28:05.80) took home all-conference laurels.
Mark Middleton rounded out the squad with a time of 28:53.01 to finish in 25th place.
It's the second straight top-5 finish in the league championship for Beattie, who earned fifth place and the league's Freshman of the Year honor a season ago. As the top-finishing rookie, Akers took home this year's Freshman of the Year award, while the TU coaching staff, led by head coach Steve Gulley and assistant coach Taylor Gulley, was named the Men's Cross Country Staff of the Year.
"I'm proud that the team stuck in there and they ran well in the conditions," head coach Steve Gulley said. "We came in with just two guys that had conference experience so you never know what's going to happen. That's the biggest thing that we're walking out of here with, that these guys stepped up and we got some experience with the younger guys. This race was a team effort and I'm proud of the group for running as a team."
The TU men have won all five conference titles since joining the league in 2014. Additionally, Tulsa now has won a league-best 16 conference titles across all sports since 2014.
Tulsa, which has won three of its four races this fall, put together a team score of 32 to finish ahead of Temple (51), UConn (91), Wichita State (109) and Cincinnati (138) in the top-5.
"It was a young team for us this year, but we're confident going into every year," Beattie said. "This is probably one of the deepest teams we've ever had here. As a group, we're as strong as we've been in a while. I knew our guys would come through strong at the end. We've been training for that and working hard on closing races out."
Meanwhile, the women's squad finished in second place of its 6K run with 65 points, just two points behind champion Wichita State. The Hurricane has finished either first or second at the conference championship in four of its five seasons as a member of The American.
"I thought we ran a good race, but just got out-maneuvered by Wichita State early on," Gulley said. "If you had told me going into the race that we'd score 65 points, I would have thought that would be enough to win it. I'm very proud of this team and how they performed."
After just missing out on all-conference honors a season ago with a 16th-place finish, Caitlin Klopfer was the top TU finisher as she crossed the line in sixth place with a time of 22:52.97.
Jenny O'Bryan (7th/22:55.64) and Ashley Barnes (12th/23:17.56) also earned all-conference laurels, while Alyssa Bolliger (19th/23:34.74) and Alice Newcombe (21st/23:39.94) rounded out the scoring for the Hurricane.
For Barnes, it was her second all-conference honor after finishing in ninth place a season ago. Both Barnes and O'Bryan made their season debuts at the championship after being held out for much of the fall with injuries.
The squad also included Caroline Miller and Reagan Hausmann, who finished 25th and 27th, respectively.
Both teams will be back in action at the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Friday, Nov. 9 in Peoria, Ill.
MEN'S INDIVIDUAL 8K Results
2. Scott Beattie — 27:09.02*
4. Peter Lynch — 27:29.85*
7. Cameron Field — 27:50.00*
8. Isaac Akers — 27:51.33*
11. Austin Del Rosso — 28:02.87*
12. Adam Breaux — 28:05.80*
25. Mark Middleton — 28:53.01
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Tulsa — 32
2. Temple — 51
3. UConn — 91
4. Wichita State — 109
5. Cincinnati — 138
6. Tulane — 160
7. Memphis — 178
8. ECU — 209
9. Houston — 220
10. USF — 310
WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL 6K RESULTS
6. Caitlin Klopfer — 22:52.97*
7. Jenny O'Bryan — 22:55.64*
12. Ashley Barnes — 23:17.56*
19. Alyssa Bolliger — 23:34.74
21. Alice Newcombe — 23:39.94
25. Caroline Miller — 23:47.05
27. Reagan Hausmann — 23:56.66
WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Wichita State — 63
2. Tulsa — 65
3. Temple — 67
4. SMU — 88
5. UConn — 89
6. ECU — 162
7. Houston — 197
8. Cincinnati — 225
9. UCF — 292
10. Memphis — 301
11. Tulane — 303
12. USF — 334
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The University of Tulsa men's cross country team claimed its ninth consecutive conference title, and fifth-straight American Athletic Conference crown, while the women's team finished in second place on a rainy day at the American Athletic Conference Championships.
The Golden Hurricane men's squad placed six runners in the top 12 of the 8K race as Scott Beattie (2nd/27:09.02), Peter Lynch (4th/27:29.85), Cameron Field (7th/27:50.00), Isaac Akers (8th/27:51.33), Austin Del Rosso (11th/27:51.33) and Adam Breaux (12th/28:05.80) took home all-conference laurels.
Mark Middleton rounded out the squad with a time of 28:53.01 to finish in 25th place.
It's the second straight top-5 finish in the league championship for Beattie, who earned fifth place and the league's Freshman of the Year honor a season ago. As the top-finishing rookie, Akers took home this year's Freshman of the Year award, while the TU coaching staff, led by head coach Steve Gulley and assistant coach Taylor Gulley, was named the Men's Cross Country Staff of the Year.
"I'm proud that the team stuck in there and they ran well in the conditions," head coach Steve Gulley said. "We came in with just two guys that had conference experience so you never know what's going to happen. That's the biggest thing that we're walking out of here with, that these guys stepped up and we got some experience with the younger guys. This race was a team effort and I'm proud of the group for running as a team."
The TU men have won all five conference titles since joining the league in 2014. Additionally, Tulsa now has won a league-best 16 conference titles across all sports since 2014.
Tulsa, which has won three of its four races this fall, put together a team score of 32 to finish ahead of Temple (51), UConn (91), Wichita State (109) and Cincinnati (138) in the top-5.
"It was a young team for us this year, but we're confident going into every year," Beattie said. "This is probably one of the deepest teams we've ever had here. As a group, we're as strong as we've been in a while. I knew our guys would come through strong at the end. We've been training for that and working hard on closing races out."
Meanwhile, the women's squad finished in second place of its 6K run with 65 points, just two points behind champion Wichita State. The Hurricane has finished either first or second at the conference championship in four of its five seasons as a member of The American."I thought we ran a good race, but just got out-maneuvered by Wichita State early on," Gulley said. "If you had told me going into the race that we'd score 65 points, I would have thought that would be enough to win it. I'm very proud of this team and how they performed."
After just missing out on all-conference honors a season ago with a 16th-place finish, Caitlin Klopfer was the top TU finisher as she crossed the line in sixth place with a time of 22:52.97.
Jenny O'Bryan (7th/22:55.64) and Ashley Barnes (12th/23:17.56) also earned all-conference laurels, while Alyssa Bolliger (19th/23:34.74) and Alice Newcombe (21st/23:39.94) rounded out the scoring for the Hurricane.
For Barnes, it was her second all-conference honor after finishing in ninth place a season ago. Both Barnes and O'Bryan made their season debuts at the championship after being held out for much of the fall with injuries.
The squad also included Caroline Miller and Reagan Hausmann, who finished 25th and 27th, respectively.
Both teams will be back in action at the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Friday, Nov. 9 in Peoria, Ill.
MEN'S INDIVIDUAL 8K Results
2. Scott Beattie — 27:09.02*
4. Peter Lynch — 27:29.85*
7. Cameron Field — 27:50.00*
8. Isaac Akers — 27:51.33*
11. Austin Del Rosso — 28:02.87*
12. Adam Breaux — 28:05.80*
25. Mark Middleton — 28:53.01
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Tulsa — 32
2. Temple — 51
3. UConn — 91
4. Wichita State — 109
5. Cincinnati — 138
6. Tulane — 160
7. Memphis — 178
8. ECU — 209
9. Houston — 220
10. USF — 310
WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL 6K RESULTS
6. Caitlin Klopfer — 22:52.97*
7. Jenny O'Bryan — 22:55.64*
12. Ashley Barnes — 23:17.56*
19. Alyssa Bolliger — 23:34.74
21. Alice Newcombe — 23:39.94
25. Caroline Miller — 23:47.05
27. Reagan Hausmann — 23:56.66
WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Wichita State — 63
2. Tulsa — 65
3. Temple — 67
4. SMU — 88
5. UConn — 89
6. ECU — 162
7. Houston — 197
8. Cincinnati — 225
9. UCF — 292
10. Memphis — 301
11. Tulane — 303
12. USF — 334
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