WATERLOO -- BYU men's cross country ran to 19th place in the Nation at the 2003 NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Waterloo, Iowa.

The men's team, making only their 12th NCAA appearance, competed against 31 teams in 21 degree weather with 15 mph wind chills.

"The men did well today despite the conditions," men's head coach Ed Eyestone said. "We didn't have a great team race though."

Together the men combined for 447 points with a 29th, 82nd, 92nd, 101st and 143rd place.

Coming in 29th place was junior Nathan Robison in 30:15.8.

"Nathan had a great race," Eyestone said. "He earned All-American status and what more can you ask for."

Nathan said his biggest goal for the season was to be an All-American, one he achieved today with his strong finish.

"I was in 60th place in the middle of the race and I noticed that slowly I just started to get closer and closer to others," Robison said. "With 1K left I just tried to go faster and slowly move up in the ranks."

Additionally junior Bryan Lindsay and freshman Rich Nelson gave a solid effort Eyestone said.

"We were disappointed with the overall performance of the team but everyone didn't have their best race," Eyestone said. "You can tell that really everyone tried their best."

One prime example of this sacrifice for the team is BYU's superstar Kip Kangogo.

"Ever since Pre-Nationals Kip Kangogo has been having some pressure in the sternum area and inflammation in his ribs," Eyestone said. "It makes it kind of hard to keep up when you are trying to run with the other guys."

Despite these conditions Kangogo did place 82nd in 30:55.

"Kip really just sucked it up," Eyestone said. "He showed that he really is a team player."

Overall, the Cougars are grateful for their performance and look forward to next season when their entire top squad returns to action again.

"We didn't do so well as a team today," Robison said. "It is disappointing but there is always next year."

SCORES:
1. Stanford		24
2. Wisconsin		174
3. Northern Arizona	190
4. Iona College	         191
5. Arkansas		215
19. BYU		         447
BYU Individual
29. Nathan Robison		30:15.8
82. Kip Kangogo		30:55.0
92. Bryan Lindsay		31:00.9
101. Chad Durham		31:05.1
143. Josh McAdams		31:30.4
187. Rich Nelson		32:19.9
193. Nick McCombs		32:29.7

PROVO -- BYU men's and women's cross country teams will finish their 2003 season in Cedar Falls, Iowa, at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships Monday, Nov. 24, 2003.

The No. 1 ranked women's team is coming off a strong win at the Mountain Regional meet last week in Ogden, Utah. They have won every single meet this season but one and are looking to defend the last two year's back-to-back national titles.

"I was very pleased with how the team ran over the weekend," women's head coach Patrick Shane said. "That says more than anything else as to how we are going to do at Natioanls. We are starting to peak and it looks like we will be back in the zone again this year."

Four of the seven runners competing are All-Americans in cross country. Senior Michaela Mannova, a native of Dvur Kralov, Czech Republic, has won four of the five races this season including the MWC Championships, earning MWC Athlete of the Year, and NCAA Mountain Regionals. She looks to improve on her past two NCAA 5th place performances Monday in Iowa.

"We are used to the pressure that going to a National Championships brings," Shane said. "We have learned how to deflect that pressure and just plan on repeating that."

The No. 11 ranked men's team is looking it improve on last year's 16th place finish at nationals. This year they placed fourth at NCAA Mountain Regionals behind No. 3 Colorado, No. 5 Northern Arizona and No. 8 Air Force Academy.

BYU's top runner, Kip Kangogo, has repeated his 2002 performance thus far this season, winning every race but regionals. At regionals he fell behind one of the top runners in the nation, Colorado's Dathan Ritzenhein, to place second.

"I expect Kip to perform much better at Nationals," men's head coach Ed Eyestone said. "I expect Kip and Ritzenhein to go tooth and nail at Nationals."

A rebroadcast of the NCAA Championships will be shown on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain, cable Channel 51, on Wed., Dec. 3 at 3 p.m, 5 p.m., Tues. Dec. 9th at 1 p.m. and Wed. Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.