Oct. 4, 2005
Columbia, Mo. - Missouri seniors Tim Ross (Alto, Mich.) and Valerie Lauver (Allen, Texas) earned Big 12 Runner of the Week honors for their performances last Friday at the 50th annual Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind. This marks Missouri's third and fourth weekly accolade of the season and second nod of the campaign for Ross. Missouri is the only school to receive recognition twice on both the men's and women's side and is the first program since Sept. 14, 2004, to sweep the weekly honors.
Ross finished first for the Tigers and 12th overall (out of 200 competitors) at the highly-competitive meet. Finishing the 8K race in 24:01, Ross recorded Missouri's best-ever time on an 8K course and helped the Tiger men to a ninth-place team showing. Racing against competitors from 25 programs including seven ranked among the top-30 in the nation, the unranked Tigers held off No. 26 Colorado State and No. 30 Butler with their top-10 score and improved on the 13th place finish of last season. The top-15 individual showing was Ross' 10th of his four-year career.
On the women's side, Lauver raced her way to a 10th place finish out of 200 competitors. Completing the 5K course in 17:14, it was Lauver's personal-best 5K time of her four-year career with the Tigers and her 10th top-10 finish. Lauver helped the No. 24 Tigers to a ninth-place finish while racing against eight other top-30 ranked programs. This marks Lauver's third career Big 12 Runner of the Week honor.
The Missouri cross country team will head back on the road for the Monday, Oct. 17, Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. The women's 6K race will begin at 11 a.m. (CT) with the men's 8K challenge immediately following.
Big 12 Runner of the Week-Men
September 7- Jon Von Letscher, Texas
September 13- Tim Ross, Missouri
September 19-Jake Morse, Texas
September 27-Benson Chesang, Kansas
October 4-Tim Ross, Missouri
Big 12 Runner of the Week-Women
September 7-Kayte Tranel, Nebraska
September 13-Brittany Brockman, Baylor
September 19-Kristin Hansen, Missouri
September 27-Brittany Brockman, Baylor
October 4-Valerie Lauver, Missouri
