Nate Jewkes Shatters Eccles Coliseum Record in the 10k, Highlighting SUU Success on Day One - Southern Utah Thunderbirds Athletics

Women's Cross Country 11/1/2008 6:00:00 AM Southern Utah Athletics

SUU Men Claim Third Consecutive conference Title; Women Finish Third

SHREVEPORT, La. - Nov. 1 - Southern Utah cross country finished with a men's title and a third-place finish for the women at The Summit League Cross Country Championship on Saturday morning. The title was the 11th for the men in school history as more history was made with school records in the 6k and 8k falling during the race.

Sophomore Cameron Levins was the top finisher for the T-Bird men as he crossed the line in second place with a school-record time of 24:06.1. Freshman Jamie Smith's 21:25.5 fifth-place finish on the women's side was also the best for the women, setting a new school record.

"This meet had some huge performances for us today," head coach Eric Houle said after the meet. "Our women's team proved to be the best ever and our men are farther ahead than we were last year."

Southern Utah's finishes on the women's side each ranked in the top ten in the school record books. Kirsten Sly, Steffi Minson and Diana Medina finished 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively with times of 22:02.6, 22:10.3 and 22:11.4. Sly's time etched her name as the fourth-best time in team history with Minson, fifth and Medina, sixth.

Sophomore Lynzee Baxter rounded out the team score with her 22nd-place finish with a time of 22:20.3, ranking seventh all-time in school history. SUU's top five finishers were all underclassmen, setting the stage for an even better finish in 2008.

South Dakota State (60) and IPFW (63) finished first and second in the meet, ahead of Southern Utah's 75. However, Smith was named Summit League Newcomer of the Year as the Thunderbirds earned the first of three individual honors on the day.

On the men's side, Nate Jewkes earned Summit League Newcomer of the Year honors with a fourth-place finishing time of 24:37.5 That time is more than a minute faster than Levins' Newcomer of the Year time in 2007. Senior Dave Sheeran made the most of his final cross country championship by shaving 44 seconds off of his season-best time to finish eighth with a time of 25:09.6. Freshman Nigel Sharp (25:27.8, 16th) and Graham Cheever (25:45.8, 21st) rounded out the finishes for the T-Birds.

Their finishes were crucial as Southern Utah scored 51 to Oakland's 57 to claim the title. The Golden Grizzlies recorded a bunch-finish with their top runner finishing third, but then finished a pack in 12th, 13ht, 14th and 15th place.

Head coach Eric Houle was awarded Summit League Men's Coach of the Year honors, the 32nd coach of the year award in his career. Smith, Levins and Jewkes each earned first-team all-Summit League accolades with Sheeran earned second-team honors.

Southern Utah will now prepare for the NCAA Moutain Regional meet in two weeks. The top teams from that meet advance to the NCAA National Championships on Nov. 24 with indvidual at-large berths also up for grabs.

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Players Mentioned

Lynzee Baxter: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Steffi Minson: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Jamie Smith: 5' 4"; Freshman

Graham Cheever: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Cameron Levins: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Nigel Sharp: 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Lynzee Baxter
: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Steffi Minson
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Jamie Smith
: 5' 4"; Freshman

Graham Cheever
: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Cameron Levins
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Nigel Sharp
: 5' 8"; Freshman