WSU Cross Country Starts Season at Idaho Jamboree

WSU Cross Country Starts Season at Idaho Jamboree
Jamboree hosted by the University of Idaho in Moscow

Aug. 29, 2006

THIS WEEK: The Washington State University men\'s and women\'s cross country teams open it\'s seasons Friday at the Cross Country Jamboree hosted by the University of Idaho in Moscow...meet takes place at the University of Idaho Golf Course...women will race on a 4,000m course beginning at 6 p.m. and the men will run a four-mile course with the race slated to start at 6:40 p.m.

DEPTH AND EXPERIENCE: Coach Jason Drake, in his fifth season as the mentor for Washington State cross country and third year head coach, fields full teams with 14 men and 16 women on the roster...Drake returns with the largest number of experienced runners to date...Cougars have eight men and eight women on the 2006 team who have run in a Pre-National, Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional Championship races.

WSU WOMEN: The Cougars keep three returning seniors and three juniors...three runners made significant impact on the 2005 team including All-American Haley Paul...Paul emerged as the standout from last season...Paul finished 14th in the NCAA Cross Country Championships...seniors Kayle Peterson, a top five runner for WSU last season and Kelly Ramirez, a top five scorer last season, also return to the Cougars...three sophomores return including Marisa Sandoval, a top-five runner for the Cougars as a freshman...redshirt sophomore Meghan Leonard was the number two runner last season...a troop of freshmen newcomers include Lisa Egami, Anna Layman, Piper Marshall, Stephanie Sipes and Chelsea VanDeBrake.

WSU MEN: The Cougar men bring back one senior and four juniors ...juniors Alex Grant and Andrew Jones come back to competition after redshirt seasons last fall...six sophomores return including 2005 front-runners Woody Favinger and Drew Polley...Favinger surfaced as the men\'s favorite and highest placer in nearly every meet last season...Polley returns as one of the top three scorers for WSU...three freshmen including one redshirt complete the Cougar men\'s squad.

WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE: Coach Drake will be attending a weekly coach\'s press conference, Tuesday, August 29 at 1:20 p.m. in Bohler 186..media may call WSU media information at 509-335-2684 for calling details.

WEARING CRIMSON AND GRAY FOR THE COUGS FRIDAY: Karen DeMartini, Meghan Leonard, Piper Marshall, Kayle Peterson, Kelly Ramirez and Sara Trane...Cougar men competing in uniform include Evan Blanshan, Chris Concha, Woody Favinger, Alex Grant , Clay Hemlock, Andrew Jones, Drew Polley, Dominic Smargiassi and Chris Williams.

RUNNING UNATTACHED FOR THE COUGS FRIDAY: Scheduled to run unattached are Lisa Egami, Isley Gonzalez, Collier Lawrence, Alyssa Modrell, Haley Paul, Marisa Sandoval, Stephanie Sipes, Chelsea VanDeBrake and Rebecca Williams for the women...Sam Ahlbeck, Derry Betts, Daniel Geib, Luke Lemenager and Dan Lucero for the men.

DRAKE\'S VIEW ON THIS WEEKEND\'S COMPETITION: \"The Idaho meet is traditionally a warm up for both the men\'s and women\'s squads, while at the same time an important indicator of where we are at,\" said Drake. \"Many of our athletes will be competing for a spot on the traveling team.\"

NEXT UP: WSU will send teams to Seattle to compete at the Sundodger Invitational, September 16 at Lincoln Park.