THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (October 31, 2009) Nate Pineda, David Smith and Stephanie Aldea finished in the top 21 to secured Conference USA All-Conference honors to help the University of Houston men’s and women’s cross country teams finish in fifth place.
The men’s squad ran in a highly competitive field with defending champion and nationally ranked No. 29 Tulsa, UTEP, ranked No. 7 in the Mountain Region, and Rice, ranked No. 9 In the South Central Region.
With a combined score of 122, the Cougars made a one spot improvement from the 2008 championships. Sophomore Nate Pineda led the Cougar pack in the 8K, crossing the finish line at the 26:02 mark – good for 19th place. The San Antonio native made an 11 spot improvement from last year and shaved 52 seconds off of his time. Making his first appearance at the championship, freshman David Smith followed close behind finishing in 21st with a time of 26:10. Pineda’s and Smith’s time awarded them a place on the All-Conference Third Team.
Sophomores Anthony Jordon and Andres Santaolalla placed 26th and 27th, respectively, finishing with a time of 26:21. Both runners improved their time from last season by at least 30 seconds. Rounding out the top five was sophomore Cole Bessner with a time of 26:50 – good for 35th place.
The women’s team, tallying 138 points, also placed fifth, matching its best finish since 2002 when the Cougars claimed fourth place. Houston squared off against an equally competitive field, facing UTEP who is ranked No. 25 in the nation. The Cougars also ran against defending champion SMU, ranked No. 3 in the South Central Region, and Rice, ranked No. 5.
Sophomore Stephanie Aldea led the squad in 17th place in the 5K, crossing the finish line at 18:58. Aldea’s placement secured a spot on the All-Conference Third Team. Her award marked the second consecutive year that the Windsor, Ontario native received a conference honor, claiming the Freshman of the Year title at the 2008 championships.
Sophomore Starla Garcia finished second on the team in 25th place with a time of 19:27. Freshman Kathryn Ducommun, sophomore Brandi Witte and sophomore Megan Munoz rounded off the top five, finishing together. Ducommun finished the race in 19:45 minutes – good for 31st place. Witte claimed 32nd place with a time of 19:46. Running less than a second behind, Munoz finished in 33rd place.
The Cougars continue to the NCAA South Central Regional in Waco, Texas on Nov. 14 to contend for a bid to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terra Haute, Ind.
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