The 49ers compete in their first A-10 Championship meet this Saturday |
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49ers Ready for Atlantic 10 Championship Meet
Oct. 26, 2005
Philadelphia - The Charlotte 49ers cross country teams travel to Philadelphia for the school's first-ever Atlantic 10 Championships in any sport this weekend. The A-10 Cross Country Championships, hosted by La Salle University, are being held Saturday, Oct. 29 at Belmont Plateau.
In the latest Atlantic 10 cross country coaches' polls, the Charlotte men's team is rated second, behind defending champion La Salle. The 49ers' women's team is ranked third in the most recent ratings. Both of Charlotte's teams have been first in the coaches' poll at some point this season, and neither has fallen from the top three positions.
The Charlotte men's team will be the first to officially contest an Atlantic 10 Championship when their 8K race goes off at 10:00 a.m. It is the 28th Annual A-10 Men's Championship. The 49ers are led by seniors Russell Slade and Jamil Muhaimin, along with sophomore Ryan Jank and two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week Adu Dentamo. Sophomore Nick Sunseri was an all-conference performer last year, while Matt Hipps has been scoring for the Niners all year long.
"This is a great opportunity for us," said coach Brad Herbster on his weekly audio show. "This is the time we really need to come together as a group and run fast as group. La Salle's won it the past five years in a row, so we need to step up and make sure that they don't get a sixth. Make an impact, at their home course."
In the men's race, Charlotte is joined by La Salle, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, Saint Louis, Temple, and Xavier.
The Charlotte women's team will compete in the 5K championship beginning at 10:45 a.m. at "The Plateau". It is the 17th running of the Women's Championship. The team is led by senior Cassie Ficken, who is looking to continue a string of impressive performances this fall, including three A-10 Performer of the Week awards. Junior Tsehaye Dagnachew and A-10 Rookie of the Week award winner Aja Jackson back up Ficken, along with Amelia Slagle, Stephanie Snyder, Liana Blue and Summer Graham.
"The women are really excited about returning to the 5K distance," said Herbster. "With such a young group, everyone kind of got 'freaked out' about the 6K distance we've run in the past couple meets, and talked themselves out of running fast. They have looked phenomenal in practice this past week, and the 3-4-5-6 runner portions of the team are where we need to just clean up a little. If Tsehaye could be in the top five overall, that would be great.
"Cassie's chances (to win the race) are pretty good," says Herbster. "We've seen the La Salle girl twice now: Cassie beat her once head-to-head at Paul Short, and then their girl had a better time but in a different race at Pre-Nationals. Cassie has to keep the pedal to the metal, run her race, to have success. If she runs her race, she will win."
In the women's race, joining La Salle and Charlotte are Saint Louis and Temple (also both compete in their first-ever A-10 Cross Country Championships). Dayton, Fordham, George Washington, Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, and Xavier round out the field.
The 49ers are competing in their first-ever Atlantic 10 Championship after switching to the conference beginning July 1, 2005.
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