Men's and Women's Cross Country Season In Review

NORMAN, Okla As 2004 comes to a close, SoonerSports.com revisits one of the most successful cross country seasons in Sooner history.

The 2004 University of Oklahoma cross country season ended with the women's and men's teams meeting their goals of improving from the previous year.

It was an eventful season for both teams. Many aims were met and many new objectives were set for next year.

Season-In-Review Photo Gallery

The Women
Jessica Eldridge finished 80th at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., wrapping up a stellar sophomore campaign.

The Broken Arrow native became only the third woman in program history to qualify for nationals as a freshman and sophomore. She joined All-Americans Tove Lutdal (1984 and 1985) and four-time qualifier Kay Gooch (1990-1993) in that prestigious category.

In 2004, Eldridge also broke her own school record in the 6K twice. She ran the Chile Pepper Invitational in 20:56, breaking her record set as a freshman in the 2003 NCAA Midwest Regional, and that shattered that mark, running a 20:36 at the 2004 regional. In just two years as a Sooner, Eldridge holds the six best times run an OU athlete in the 6K.

The season began in September with the Wildcat Invitational in Topeka, Kan. The women's team ran without their three best runners, Eldridge, Nicola Maye and Catherine Odell, and finished sixth among eight teams. Sophomore transfer Aja Clark led the Sooners in her first NCAA Division I race, finishing 26th in the 6K in 23:59. She was followed by senior Jackie Dubois, 40th, and sophomore Andrea Bonner, 43rd.

In their next race, with Eldridge, Maye and Odell participating, the Sooner women won, defeating 18th-ranked Arkansas by one point, 78-79, in one of the finest performances in the program's history. Dubois, Oklahoma's final scorer, broke her personal record by over two minutes.

The result marked a turning point for the women's cross country program.

The next week, the OU women debuted on the FinishLynx/NCAA National Cross Country poll at 29th, their first-ever national ranking, and were ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region by the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association (WICCCA), another first for the Sooners.

Unfortunately, the women failed to meet their expectations at the Notre Dame Invitational, which proved to be one of the most competitive cross country events in the United States in 2004. Nine nationally-ranked teams, including OU, competed in 5K race. The Sooners finished 13th of 24 teams. Eldridge led the Sooners again, but was hampered by a slow takeoff. The sophomore did however keep pace with the No.1-ranked Stanford team throughout the race, finishing 12th in 17:06.

The Sooners needed a change of pace. And that's exactly what they got from the first-ever Red River Relays.

The relays, held the afternoon before the annual OU-Texas football game, were hosted by Southern Methodist at Norbuck Park in Dallas. The Sooner women paired against the runners from No. 13 SMU, with Clark and Odell taking top prize home for the crimson and cream.

The regular season ended in style as records fell at the prestigious Chile Pepper Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., where the Sooners finished fourth of 31 teams. Eldridge continued to impress, striking 34 seconds from her own 6K school record and finishing fourth overall. Maye earned another top-25 finish with her run of 21:53. Clark, Odell and Dubois all set personal records.

Oklahoma continued its hot hand, posting its best-ever finish, seventh, at the Big 12 Championships in Topeka, Kan. Eldridge earned her second All-Big 12 honor in as many years with her 12th-place finish. She covered the 6K course in 21:54. Maye followed in 25th and the Sooners' scorers were completed by Odell, 31st; Clark, 61st; Dubois, 64th and senior Emily Leonard, 93rd.

Nothing was going to slow down Eldridge.

Despite just recovering from tendonitis in her knee, Eldridge qualified for the NCAA National Cross Country Championships with her record-breaking fourth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Peoria, Ill.

Eldridge broke her own school record for a 6K by running the distance in 20:36.

The Men
Despite losing their two of their best runners from the year before, the 2004 OU men's cross country team did not lower their expectations.

The men opened their season with the Wildcat Invitational in Topeka, Kan. Sophomore Jason Coleman finished in second place, running the 8K in 25:19. Junior Blake Culp also finished in the top 10 with a ninth at 25:48. The Sooners finished in third place, closely behind host Kansas State. Coleman, Culp, freshman Jason Penland and junior Billy Grona broke personal records a trend that continued all season.

Coleman picked up another top 10 finish at the Southern Stampede in Joplin, Mo., running the 8K in 24:58. Oklahoma finished fourth of 22 teams and just mere points away from third-place and in-state rival Oklahoma State.

In what would be a learning experience, the men's team next competed at the Notre Dame Invitational in one of the most competitive races in the country. Seven nationally-ranked teams were included in the field of 24. Oklahoma finished 18th. Coleman led the squad again and ran the sixth-fastest five-mile race on record run by a Sooner at 24:45.

Next, were the Red River Relays, which provided a break from the routine cross country endurance test. The team of Culp and sophomore Salah Hussein won the event. The pair ran the combined 12K in 36:45.

On a mission to surpass expectations, the men finished eighth overall at the Chile Pepper Invitational. Coleman led the Sooners again, breaking a personal record in the 10K and matching the 10th-fastest time in school history with a run of 30:26.

The Big 12 Championships provided some misfortune for the streaking Sooners.

Coleman, pacing himself in the lead pack, fell and was spiked at the two-mile mark. He finished the race 26th, in 25:26, with a seven-inch gash in his calf. The men's team was completed by Hussein, sophomore Tyler Schmiedeberg, Penland, senior Andrew Call and Culp. The Sooners finished ninth of the 12 teams.

The final race of the season was the NCAA Midwest Regional. The men's team placed 11th. Coleman earned All-Region honors with his 21st-place finish. He ran the 10K in 31:14.

Despite failing to meet some of their goals, the Oklahoma men's cross country team had nothing but bright expectations for the future. The entire team, with the exception of the senior Call, will return in 2005.

Academics
The University of Oklahoma cross country teams placed 10 men and women on the Academic All-Big 12 Team.

Andrew Call, Jason Coleman, Tyler Schmiedeberg, Andrea Bonner, Jackie Dubois, Emily Leonard and Catherine Odell were all selected to the first team. Blake Culp, John Mullholland and Jason Penland were selected to the second team.

Call, Dubois and Leonard continued their streak of making the first team each of the three years they have been eligible. Culp also made the second team in his first season of eligibility in 2003.

It was the third consecutive year that the Sooners have placed 10 or more on the conference's academic team.

Nominated by each Big 12 institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the cross country academic all-league squad consisted of 97 combined first-team members and 28 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team are those who have posted 3.00-3.19 GPAs.

To qualify, student-athletes must have a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or in each of the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of his or her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are included.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Men's and Women's Cross Country Season In Review

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