Published: October 09, 2008 12:49 pm      

ECU men's cross country team climbs into rankings

Ada — For the first time since 2005, the East Central University men’s cross country team has moved into the national rankings.

Coach Steve Sawyer’s Tigers are ranked 24th in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll which was released Wednesday.

ECU is ranked fifth in the tough South Central Region behind Abilene Christian (first in the region and second nationally), Missouri Southern State (second in the region and 15th nationally), Pittsburg State (third in the region and 20th nationally) and Southwest Baptist, Mo. (fourth in the region and 22nd nationally).

Adams State is No. 1 in the national poll.

The Tigers are coming off a 12th-place finish at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree last weekend, competing against mostly Division I competition as senior John Sutrick led the way with his best 8-kilometer time of the season at 26:11.

ECU also placed third at an 8k event at the University of North Texas earlier this season behind Sutrick’s fifth-place finish and teammate Daniel Kiptoo’s ninth-place effort.

The Tigers also won their own 8k Tiger Chase on Sept. 13 as Sutrick took second, his brother Jimmy Sutrick was third and Jacob Bussell placed fourth.

ECU is off this weekend, but will run in the University of Arkansas Chile Pepper Classic in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 18.



ECU's Pool ties for seventh place; Butner ties for 15th

KINGSTON - East Central’s Zac Pool tied for seventh place while Blaine Butner tied two others for 15th, but it wasn’t enough to get the Tigers out of seventh in the team standings as the Texoma Championship Golf Tournament, hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State, wrapped up its two-day, three-round run Tuesday at the par-72 Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club.

Pool, after shooting a 4-over 76 in the first round on Monday and firing a 3-under 69 in the second round later in the day, wrapped up play Tuesday with an 80 to finish at 9-over with a 225 for the tournament. Pool finished with 37 pars in the three rounds.

Butner, on the strength of eight birdies in the tournament, shot a 76 on Tuesday after posting a 74 and 79 on Monday to finish at 229 (13-over for the tourney).

Also for ECU, Trevor Rose (playing unattched) finished in 32nd place with a 237 (80-76-81). Bryeson Lance ended up in a tie for 33rd with a 239 (82-77-80) and Colton Johnson (also playing unattached) was tied for 36th with a 214 (73-80-88). Michael Vassella finished 40th with a 245 (82-79-84) and Jeff Weisheit took 41st with a 248 (76-84-87).

Sam Houston State’s Fergal Rafferty captured medalist honors with a 3-under-par 213 (71-69-73). He edged out Midwestern State’s Travis Klutts (72-72-72) by three strokes. Scott Kelly, also of Sam Houston State was third with a 219 (71-69-69) and Beau Willis, also of SHSU, tied two others for fourth place as the Bearkats earned the team title with a score of 880.

Midwestern State was second with a 904, followed by Central Oklahoma (905), Southwestern Oklahoma State (909), Texas A&M-Commerce (914), host SOSU (926), ECU and West Texas A&M (952).



Lady Tiger golfers settle for 10th place at UCO tourney

EDMOND — The East Central University women’s golf team settled for 10th place as the 2008 Central Oklahoma Broncho Masters Tournament wrapped up Tuesday at the par-72 Fairfax Golf Club.

Sophomore Whitney McDaniel was ECU’s highest placer (tied for 24th) as she shot an 86 on Tuesday after posting an 83 on Monday to finish at 25-over for the two-round tournament with a 169.

Also for the Lady Tigers, freshman Christina Moore and sophomore Maygan Ballard tied one other golfer for 41st place with a 179 (35-over). Moore had a 93 on Tuesday after shooting an 86 on Monday, while Ballard posted a 91 on Tuesday after finishing with an 88 on Monday.

ECU’s Amanda Buell ended up in 53rd place with a 187 (93-94); Sarah Wolf finished in 54th place with a 188 (98-90); and Theresa Bullard, playing unattached, completed play with a 203 (102-101) for 59th place.

Central Oklahoma’s Emily Leahey won the event with a 7-over-par 151 (73-78) to edge out Dina O’Brien and Kirby Baker, both of St. Edward’s University, by two stokes. O’Brien posted a 75-78 and Baker had a 73-80.

St. Edward’s captured the team title with a score of 629, followed by host UCO (642), Cameron (651), Angelo State (663), Texas A&M-Commerce (663), St. Mary’s, Texas (678), Arkansas Tech (681), Newman, Kan. (698), Southwestern Oklahoma State (703) and ECU (710).