Angela Homan and Chris Walsh Ready To Compete at Cross Country Championships
November 19, 2004
AUBURN - Auburn will send two cross country runners in Angela Homan and Chris Walsh to the 2004 NCAA Championships on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind., hosted by Indiana State University. The women's 6K is slated to begin at 10 a.m. CT with the men to follow at 11:15 a.m. on the LeVern Gibson Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.
"The course is somewhat similar to what we ran at regionals," head cross country coach Chris Fox said. "It is fairly challenging without being overbearing. It will be cold, probably in the 20s or 30s."
Making her second trip to the championships, Homan is expected to be a top-10 finisher in the 410-runner field. At the 2003 championships, Homan earned All-American honors after placing 32nd. Just this week Homan was named the 2004 SEC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year (she also garnered this award in 2003) and the 2004 South Region Female Athlete of the Year. Homan has two post-season individual titles to add to her other four this season, as she is the SEC and South Region Champion.
"I think Angela is on a short list of three that are lining up that have not been beaten this year," Fox said. "Our goal for the championships at the beginning of the season was to be in the top 15, but now we are thinking she may finish in the top 10."
Freshman Chris Walsh has his place in the AU cross country record books after becoming only the second male to compete at the championships. In his freshman campaign as a Tiger, Walsh earned All-SEC and All-Region honors after finishing fifth in both events and leading his Tiger team. For his efforts this season Walsh was honored this week by being named the SEC Male Freshman of the Year. He will line up against 447 other runners from across the country with the chance of earning All-American honors.
"He is a very talented kid who works hard and has exceeded his own expectations as well as mine," Fox noted. "It is a huge thing for a freshman to even be at the championships. He will run to try and make All-American."
The duo will travel to Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 20, and compete on Monday. For a complete list of all the competitors the championships please visit http://www.indstate.edu/athletics.
Results and photos from the championships can be viewed at the
conclusion of both races by clicking on the above link and/or
http://www.trackshark.com.