Bowling Green State University Athletics
Cross Country Heads to DeKalb, Illinois for MAC Championships
October 27, 2005 | Men's Cross Country
Oct. 27, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Cross Country Heads to DeKalb, Illinois for MAC Championships
Jamie Roflow and Rogers Kipchumba eye their way towards the top of the MAC.
Head coach Cami Wells and the members of the men's and women's cross country teams head to DeKalb, Illinois, this Saturday, where Northern Illinois University play's host to the 2005 Mid-American Conference Championships.
The Falcons, who finished 7th (women) and 10th (men) at the 2004 MAC Championships, look to improve their standings and to move up in the conference ranks.
The women's team was picked to finish ninth in the MAC during a pre-season coaches pole, and looks to their talented sophomore Jamie Roflow. Roflow, who finished 35th at last years MAC Championships, has been the lead runner for the Falcons during the entire season, finishing first twice (Toledo Dual, Mel-Brodt). Besides her two first place finishes, Roflow has finished in the top-ten in all of her races this fall, including the prestigious Stanford Invitational back in September where she was the ninth runner to cross the finish line (eighth collegiate runner). She looks to improve upon her season and personal-best time of 17:31 (Mel-Brodt, Falcon Invitational).
Joining Roflow on the women's team competing at the MAC Championships will be Stephanie Hillman, Andrea Pollack, Kim Settle, Kara Butler, Bridget Dalic, Colleen Moran, Kylie Korsnack, and Caroline Kipchaba.
The women, who have only been beaten by two MAC teams, Toledo (Oct. 15) and Akron (Oct 7), and will see Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois for the first time on Saturday.
The men, also picked to finish ninth in the MAC, have spent this fall trying to rebuild a team full of tradition and history. They look to junior Rogers Kipchumba to be one of the frontrunners at the MAC Championships. Rogers, who finished 13th at the 2004 MAC Championships, ran his best 8,000m time, 24:57, since coming to the United States in 2002, at the Stanford Invitational earlier in the season. He has had two individual championships this fall (Toledo Dual, Mel Brodt). What's more impressive on the Kipchumba resumé is that he has led the men's team for the last 13 races over the 2004 and 2005 season.
Kipchumba will be joined by eight other teammates, Edgar Ramirez, Bryan Jackson, Brett Finnan, Kevin Kaighin, Aaron Smuda, Steve Vairetta, and Curtis Farnsel.
The meet is scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. with the women's race and noon for the men's race and will be held at the North Forty (Anderson Field) course on the main campus of Northern Illinois University.
Directions: I-75 N to I-80 W / I-90 W via EXIT 195 toward CHICAGO, Merge onto I-80 W via EXIT 21 toward IN-51 S, Take I-294 N toward WISCONSIN, Merge onto EAST-WEST TOLLWAY / I-88 W toward AURORA, Take Exit 92--Annie Glidden Road and go north two miles. From Glidden Rd. take SR 38 (Lincoln Highway) west to athletic facilities.
Coach Wells Quotes
How do you feel about going into the MAC meet this weekend?
I am excited for the competition. It is always exciting to participate in a championship event. I feel the teams are well prepared and ready to go.
How do you feel your athletes have done in preparing this season for the MAC Championships?
Both teams have done a nice job of getting themselves ready this season. I expect a lot out of them and I am happy with the effort I have seen across the board.
Jamie Roflow and Rogers Kipchumba have been solid in leading their respective teammates this season for the Falcons. Do you expect the same?
Yes, both Jamie and Kip have been solid number one runners for us this fall and expect that they will both step up and be strong frontrunners this weekend.
How competitive do you feel your athletes will be this weekend?
The teams have worked hard to prepare themselves physically and mentally. Both teams have also made a strong commitment to teamwork. The athletes are very supportive of one another and they work well together so I expect good things to happen this weekend.
Going through the nine women and nine men you have chosen for the competition, what do you think that they will each bring (competition wise) to the team?
Each person will be expected to step up to the line focused and ready to go out and give it their all. They will be expected to work through the pain and finish with no regrets. They each have a job to do this weekend, all 18 of them. Each person has to do his or her job in order for the team to be successful. No one person is more important than another when it comes to team success. They are all vital.
