Sept. 8, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women placed all five scoring runners in the top-10 en route to a dominant victory at the 2007 Lobo Invitational – the first meet under first year head coach Joe Franklin – this morning at the UNM North Golf Course. Running in front of a crowd of several thousand spectators, the new-look Lobos finished 24 points ahead of runner-up UTEP as they won their home meet for the first time since it moved to campus in 2000. The UNM men, meanwhile, finished second behind national power UTEP despite running without All-American senior Jeremy Johnson.
New Mexico junior transfer Michelle Corrigan (Pulaski, Wisc.) was the first collegiate finisher in the women’s race. Corrigan, formerly of Mississippi State, covered the 5,000-meter course in 18:25, finishing 12 second behind the winner Ava Hutchinson, who was competing unattached. UNM sophomore Vanessa Ortiz – the 2006 Mountain West Conference Women’s Freshman of the Year – finished third (18:42), while Kara Henry (Elhurst, Ill.), a senior transfer from Butler, was fourth (18:43).
Junior Carolyn Boosey (London, England) was seventh, while senior Sheyenne Lewis finished 10th (19:06) to cap the Lobo scoring on a warm, humid morning on the North Course.
The UNM quintet matched the meet record set by Division II power Western State in the inaugural meet at the North Course in 2000 with a score of 21 points. UTEP finished a distant second (45), while New Mexico State was third (54).
New Mexico’s performance was particularly impressive considering it was without two returning scorers from a year ago as seniors Leslie Luna (two-time all-MWC and all-NCAA Mountain region) and Melanie Velarde sat out with injuries.
Earlier in the men’s 8,000-meter race, the Lobos placed three in the top-15, led by sophomore transfer Brock Hagerman (Pendleton, Ind.), who was ninth. Hagerman – the 2006 Big East Men’s Freshman of the Year while at Notre Dame – crossed the line in 25:16.
Senior transfer Mat Ashton (Oxford, England) was 11th (26:03), while fellow senior Joseph Garcia was 12th (26:18). Sophomore Alex Willis placed 15th overall (27:09), while senior Yuval Carmi was 18th (27:25) in his Lobo cross country debut to cap the team’s scoring.
Johnson, a 2007 outdoor track All-American at 10,000 meters and first team all-MWC cross country runner last fall, was rested as he prepares to make his season debut at Oregon on Sept. 28.
New Mexico finished with a score of 59 – 40 behind the powerful Miners, who had five of the first six collegiate finishers en route to a meet record score of 19 and their second consecutive Lobo Invitational team title. UTEP All-American Stephen Samoei (24:19) successfully defended his 2006 individual crown to become the second man to win back-to-back Lobo Invitational races (Ben Payne, Air Force, 2001-02).
The Lobo Invitational marked the first career races at high altitude for six UNM newcomers in Corrigan, Henry, Boosey, Hagerman, Ashton and Lee Emanuel.
New Mexico will likely send a split squad down to Las Cruces for New Mexico State’s Kachina Classic on Sept. 22 before the season opens in earnest at Oregon’s Bill Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 28.