Press Release

September 6, 2003

Bearcats Start Season with Distance Classic

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri State University cross country teams kicked-off the season Saturday with the Bearcat Distance Classic.

The women ran a 4K intrasquad meet at 10 a.m. with Heather Searls (Fr., Raymore, Mo.) winning the race in a time of 16:35.3. Dia McKee (So., O'Fallon, Mo.) finished in second place with a time of 17:02.2, narrowly defeating Megan Hamilton (Fr., Winfield, Iowa), who finished third in 17:02.6. Julie Toebben (So., Vichy, Mo.) rounded out the front pack with a fourth-place time of 17:03.5.

The men's 6K race followed, with Chad Fowler (Sr., Kearney, Mo.) finishing in first place with a time of 19:33 and Jamison Phillips (Sr., Chesterfield, Mo.) taking second with a time of 19:54. John Heil (Sr., Excelsior Springs, Mo.) and Kyle Keraus (Sr., Garner, Iowa) paced each other across the finish line to place third and fourth with times of 20:33.0 and 20:33.1, respectively.

Matt Pohren (Fr., Omaha, Neb.) led the freshman squad in sixth place with a time of 20:42. Ronnie Anselmo (Fr., Gravois Mills, Mo.) followed him in seventh place with a time of 20:59.

The cross country teams will begin the competitive season at the Central Missouri State University Mule Run Sept. 12 in Warrensburg.