Aug. 23, 2004
ALBUQUERQUE – University of New Mexico head cross country coach Matt Henry and his staff have announced that they will add a 5,000-meter community fun run to the bustling schedule of the annual Lobo Invitational cross country meet, New Mexico’s 2004 season-opener. The community fun run will take place at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11 prior to the six high school races and men’s and women’s collegiate races at the UNM North Golf Course. The cost is $20 per runner (early registration) with all proceeds to benefit the UNM track and field/cross country program.
Fun run participants can register in advance by mailing their registration (including: full name, address, phone number, email address), postmarked by Sept. 7, and $20 entry fee to the UNM track and field department.
Track & Field Department1 University of New MexicoMSC04 2680Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Runners can also register in person at the UNM track and field office (located on Avenida César Chavez, east of University Blvd. at the northeast corner of University Stadium, ph. 925-5735) and at Fleet Feet Sports (8204 A Menaul NE in the Hoffmantown Shopping Center, ph. 299-8922). Walk-in registration closes at noon on Friday, Sept. 10. Late registration will be available on the day of the meet at the UNM North Golf Course for a $25 fee.
Participants can pick up their information packets at the North Golf Course on from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sept. 10 and 5:45-6:45 a.m. on Sept. 11. The UNM North Golf Course is located at 2201 Tucker NE (north of Lomas, off Yale) on the University of New Mexico’s north campus.
Since taking over the program in 2000, Henry has improved the Lobo Invitational each year, making it one of the premier cross country meets in the region. The North Golf Course has been the permanent home of Lobo cross country since 2002 and draws thousands of distance running fans each year for home events. The course has hosted both the Mountain West Conference and NCAA Mountain Region cross country championship meets.
This year the New Mexico men and women will host 11 collegiate teams, including UTEP, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and LSU, for their lone home meet of 2004. The UNM women return six letterwinners and five of their top seven runners from 2003. The men’s team, meanwhile, could potentially be one of the best in school history with All-American Matt Gonzales and all-MWC runners Ben Ortega and Cameron Clarke leading a loaded squad that will also include prep All-American Shadrack Kiptoo. A pair of stalwart seniors in Nick Martinez and Sean Flaherty also return to bolster the powerful roster.