PROVO -- BYU's two All-Americans showed why they are team leaders at the Mountain Regional Cross Country Championships held at East Bay Golf Course on Saturday.
The No. 2 Cougar women reclaimed the regional crown they lost last year to No. 7 Colorado, dominating the field with all five scoring runners finishing in the top ten. The Cougars scored 31 points to win the race, followed by Colorado with 48 and No. 13 Northern Arizona with 81.
Northcutt finished second in the 6K race behind Colorado senior Jodie Hughes in a race that wasn't won until the final 400 meters.
"Being in front of our some BYU fans and having the cheerleaders there was awesome," Northcutt said. "You catch the excitement of the crowd and it makes you push that little bit more, especially when you hear them cheering for you."
While Northcutt led the way for the Cougars, the race was won for BYU with their three through five runners, who finished 7, 8, 9 to give the Cougars just a 36-second split between their top five runners.
"The win meant a lot for the team and I'm happy for them," head coach Patrick Shane said. "The results were what we wanted and it was nice to beat Colorado."
Despite a slow start to the race, the Cougars ran together throughout the race and the team's pack proved to be the difference in the scores at the end.
"Having the whole team run together helps a lot because we really push each other to run and keep everybody going," Jessie Kindschi, BYU's second finisher and the fifth overall finisher, said. "We really feed off each other during the race."
A strong race by John Hedengren was just what the No. 12 BYU men needed to finish third and beat out conference rival Colorado State by just four points.
The Cougars third-place finish does not give them an automatic berth at the NCAA Championships on Mon., Nov. 19 but virtually assures both BYU teams will be making the trip to Greenville, S.C.
"Today's finishcould be good for us going into nationals because we will go in wanting to prove something," head coach Ed Eyestone said. "We had some guys who were sick but they gutted it out and got the job done. John Hedengren came through as our go-to guy and that's what you count on from an All-American."
The men's field at the Mountain Regionals is one of the strongest in the nation, with seven of the teams being ranked in the top 25.
No. 1 Colorado ran away with the team victory, beating out Northern Arizona by 45 points. Jorge Torres, a Buffalo, won the individual crown for the second straight year, narrowly beating teammate Dathan Ritzenhein and University of Utah All-American Teren Jameson.
The NCAA Championships will be held on Nov. 19 in Greenville, S.C., the same place the BYU women won their first national title in 1997.
2001 Mountain Region Cross Country Championships ResultsMen's Top Five Team Finishers
1. Colorado 48
2. Northern Arizona University 93
3. Brigham Young University 115
4. Colorado State University 119
5. Air Force Academy 133
Men's Top Ten Individual Finishers
1. Jorge Torres Colorado 30:52.3
2. Dathan Ritzenhein Colorado 30:52.8
3. Teren Jameson University of Utah 30:53.2
4. Ed Torres Colorado 31:07.3
5. Travis Laird Northern Arizona University 31:09.0
6. John Hedengren Brigham Young University 31:19.9
7. David Romero Air Force Academy 31:24.1
8. Henrick Ahnstrom Northern Arizona University 31:26.7
9. Matt Gonzales New Mexico 31:28.6
10. Bashar Ibrahim UTEP 31:32.3
Other BYU Finishers
18. Andy Carman 31:53.0
26. Ammon Larsen 32:00.1
27. Lewis Jones 32:07.9
38. Steve Barrus 32:21.2
57. Mark Nevers 32:58.5
58. Mike Thatcher 32:58.8
Women's Team Finish
1. Brigham Young University 31
2. Colorado 48
3. Northern Arizona University 81
4. Colorado State University 85
5. Weber State University 159
Women's Top Ten Individual Finishers
1. Jodie Hughes Colorado 21:13.9
2. Tara Northcutt Brigham Young University 21:21.0
3. Molly Austin Colorado 21:21.6
4. Ida Nilsson Northern Arizona University 21:26.2
5. Jessie Kindschi Brigham Young University 21:32.7
6. Susan Rutherford Northern Arizona University 21:37.2
7. Lindsey Thomsen Brigham Young University 21:43.4
8. Sarah Taylor Brigham Young University 21:47.0
9. Nan Evans Brigham Young University 21:49.4
10. Marget Larson Colorado State University 21:51.5
Other BYU Finishers
12. Michaela Manova 22:05.3
17. Amy Bair 22:26.2
PROVO -- The No. 2 BYU women and No. 12 BYU men stay home this weekend to host the NCAA Mountain Regional at East Bay Golf Course in Provo on Saturday.
The men's 10K race will be first at 11 a.m. and will be followed by thewomen's 6K race at 12:15 p.m.
Both teams are looking to earn an automatic bid to this year's NCAA Championships in Greenville, S.C. on Mon. Nov. 19.
The women's team has already basically assured a spot in that field but would like to reclaim the region title after getting knocked off by Colorado last year.
"In this case winning isn't necessary to advancebut we would like to win the race," head coach Patrick Shane said. "Rather than rest our top runners like we have in the past, this year we are going to run everyone and we expect to be as strong as we have ever been."
The women's field consists of four teams ranked in the top 25, including No. 2 BYU, No. 7 Colorado, No. 13 Northern Arizona and No. 16 Colorado State.
The men's look good for an at-large berth but their hold on that berth is a bit more tenuous than that of the women.
"We would like to control our destiny and to do that we need to finish in the top three," head coach Ed Eyestone said. "We can't hold anything back for tomorrow or there might not be a tomorrow."
Seven top-25 teams will be competing in the Mountain Regional, including No. 1 Colorado, No. 9 Northern Arizona, No. 12 BYU, No. 15 Air Force, No. 21 Utah State, No. 23 Colorado State and No. 25 Utah.
"Our region could have as many as five teams go to nationals," Eyestone said. "But the top two teams are the only two that can guarantee their position."
The regional meet will begin with the men's 10K race at 11 a.m. and will be followed by the women's 6K race at 12:15 p.m. At the conclusion of the women's race there will be an award ceremony for both races. East Bay Golf Course is located at 1860 S East Bay Blvd. in South Provo.
Directions to East Bay Golf Course
From Salt Lake City International Airport. Exit airport heading South on I-215. Merge with I-15 heading South. Go south on I-15 to exit 266 (US-189 N/University Ave) in Provo. Merge onto S University Ave./US-189 Turn right on East Bay Blvd. to 1860 S. East Bay Blvd.
From the north.
Go south on I-15 to exit 266 (US-189 N/University Ave) in Provo. Merge onto S University Ave./US-189 Turn right on East Bay Blvd. to 1860 S. East Bay Blvd.
From the south.
Take I-15 heading North to exit 266 (US-189 N/University Ave/1860 S) in Provo. Stay straight to go onto S University Ave/US-189 N. Turn right on East Bay Blvd. to 1860 S. East Bay Blvd.
Team Capsules for All Mountain Region Teams:
Air Force Quick Facts
School Name - Air Force Academy
Location - Air Force Academy, Colorado
Enrollment - 4,000
Nickname - Falcons
Colors - Blue and Silver
Athletic Director - Col. Randall W. Spetman
Head Coach - Mark Stanforth
2001 MWC Finish (Men/Women) - 3rd/3rd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 6th/9th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - 16th/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - David Romero/Brandess Pardue
Brigham Young Quick Facts
School Name - Brigham Young University
Location - Provo, Utah
Enrollment - 30,079
Nickname - Cougars
Colors - Blue, White and Tan
Athletic Director (Men/Women) - Val Hale/Elaine Michaelis
Head Coach (Men/Women) - Ed Eyestone/Patrick Shane
2001 MWC Finish (Men/Women) - 1st/1st
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 2nd/2nd
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - 2nd/23rd
Top Runners (Men/Women) - John Hedengren/Tara Northcutt
Colorado Quick Facts
School Name - University of Colorado
Location - Boulder, Colo.
Enrollment - 26,035
Nickname - Buffaloes (Buffs)
Colors - Silver, Gold and Black
Athletic Director - Dick Tharp
Head Coach - Mark Wetmore
2001 Big 12 Finish (Men/Women) - 1st/1st
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 1st/1st
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - 2nd/1st
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Jorge Torres/Molly Austin
Colorado State Quick Facts
School Name - Colorado State University
Location - Fort Collins, Colorado
Enrollment - 22,600
Nickname - Rams
Colors - Green and Gold
Athletic Director - Jeffrey Hathaway
Head Coach - Del Hessel
2001 MWC Finish (Men/Women) - 4th/2nd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 5th/3rd
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - 21st/7th
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Mike Nicks/Meg Larson
Denver Quick Facts
School Name - University of Denver
Location - Denver, Colorado
Enrollment - 9,500
Nickname - Pioneers
Colors - Crimson and Gold
Athletic Director - M. Dianne Murphy
Head Coach - Trond Nystad
2001 Sun Belt Finish (Men/Women) - 9th/6th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 15th/11th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Pietro Broggini/Niina Karvonen
Idaho State Quick Facts
School Name - Idaho State University
Location - Pocatello, Idaho
Enrollment - 13,040
Colors - Orange & Black
Nickname - Bengals
Athletic Director - Howard Gauthie
Head Coach - Brian Janssen
2001 Big Sky Finish (Men/Women) - 5th/5th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Finish) - 15th/11th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Casey Crumrine/Sarah Van Wart
Montana Quick Facts
School Name - University of Montana
Location - Missoula, Montana
Enrollment - 12,668
Nickname - Grizzlies
Colors - Copper, Silver and Gold
Athletic Director - Wayne Hogan
Head Coach - Tom Raunig
2001 Big Sky Finish (Men/Women) - 4th/4th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 14th/5th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Scott McGowan/Julie Ham
Montana State Quick Facts
School Name - Montana State University
Location - Bozeman, Montana
Enrollment - 11,753
Nickname - Bobcats
Colors - Blue and Gold
Athletic Director - Glenn Lewis
Head Coach - Dale Kennedy
2001 Big Sky Finish (Men/Women) - 3rd/3rd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 14th/5th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Casey Jermyn/Ariana Lee
Nevada Quick Facts
School Name - University of Nevada
Location - Reno, Nevada
Enrollment - 14,100
Nickname - Wolf Pack
Colors - Navy Blue and Silver
Athletic Director - Chris Ault
Head Coach - Kay Gooch
2001 WAC Finish (Women) - 3rd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Women) - DNC
2000 NCAA Finish (Women) - DNC
Top Runner - Emma Garrard
New Mexico Quick Facts
School Name - University of New Mexico
Location - Albuquerque, N.M.
Enrollment - 24,250
Nickname - Lobos
Colors - Cherry and Silver
Athletic Director - Rudy Davalos
Head Coach - Matt Henry
2001 MWC Finish (Men/Women) - 5th/5th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 12th/14th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Ben Ortega/Sarah Gonzales
New Mexico State Quick Facts
School Name - New Mexico State University
Location - Las Cruces, New Mexico
Enrollment - 15,224
Nickname - Aggies
Colors - Crimson and White
Athletic Director - Brian Faison
Head Coach - Ed Crawford
2001 Sun Belt Finish (Men/Women) - 6th/3rd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - NTS/13th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Louis Cuellar/Rachael Cuellar
Northern Arizona Quick Facts
School Name - Northern Arizona University
Location - Flagstaff, Ariz.
Enrollment - 20,000
Colors - Blue and Gold
Nickname - Lumberjacks
Athletic Director - Steve Holton
Head Coach - Ron Mann
2001 Big Sky Finish (Men/Women) - 1st/3rd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 3rd/6th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - 7th/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Henrik Ahnstrom/Ida Nillson
Southern Utah Quick Facts
School Name - Southern Utah University
Location - Cedar City, Utah
Enrollment - 6,200
Nickname - Thunderbirds
Colors - Scarlet and White
Athletic Director - Tom Douple
Head Coach - Eric Houle
2001 Mid-Con Finish (Men/Women) - 1st/1st
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 7th/15th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Cody Moat/Jandee Anderson
Texas Tech Quick Facts
School Name - Texas Tech University
Location - Lubbock, Texas
Enrollment - 24,558
Nickname - Red Raiders
Colors - Scarlet and Black
Athletic Director - Gerald Myers
Head Coach - David Smith
2001 Big 12 Finish (Men/Women) - 12th/10th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 9th/8th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Joseph McClellon/Shannon Spaulding
Utah Quick Facts
School Name - University of Utah
Location - Salt Lake City, Utah
Enrollment - 26,182
Nickname - Utes
Colors - Crimson and White
Athletic Director - Chris Hill
Head Coach - Lisa Collett
2001 MWC Finish (Men/Women) - 3rd/4th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 11th/10th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Teren Jameson/Tara Hall
Utah State Quick Facts
School Name - Utah State University
Location - Logan, Utah
Enrollment - 21,490
Nickname - Aggies
Colors - Navy Blue and White
Athletic Director - Rance Pugmire
Head Coach - Gregg Gensel
2001 Big Sky Finish (Men/Women) - 2nd//4th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 9th/8th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Steve Prescott/Billie Winter
UTEP Quick Facts
School Name - University of Texas El Paso
Location - El Paso, Texas
Enrollment - 15,224
Nickname - Miners
Colors - Dark Blue, Orange and Silver Accent
Athletic Director - Bob Stull
Head Coach - David Welsh
2001 WAC Finish (Men/Women) - 2nd/8th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 16th/DNC
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Bashar Ibrahim/Maria Llerena-Sanz
Weber State Quick Facts
School Name - Weber State University
Location - Ogden, Utah
Enrollment - 16,000
Colors - Royal Purple and White
Nickname - Wildcats
Athletic Director - John Johnson
Head Coach (Men/Women) - Chuck Hislop/Jim Blaisdell
2001 Big Sky Finish (Men/Women) - 2nd/2nd
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 4th/4th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - 19th/22nd
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Jeremy Tolman/Caroline Jolley
Wyoming Quick Facts
School Name - University of Wyoming
Location - Laramie, Wyoming
Enrollment - 11,000
Nickname - Cowboys/Cowgirls
Colors - Brown and Wyoming Prairie Gold
Athletic Director - Lee Moon
Head Coach - Jim Sanchez
2001 MWC Finish (Men/Women) - 6th/6th
2000 Mt. Region Finish (Men/Women) - 13th/16th
2000 NCAA Finish (Men/Women) - DNC/DNC
Top Runners (Men/Women) - Chris Jons/Ashley Mecham
