University of Connecticut Athletics
Cross Country Prepares for Championship Season
10/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
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Championship Season Begins
This weekend the University of Connecticut men’s cross country team begins the championship portion of its season at the New England Championship on Friday, October 12, in Boston, MA. This season the Huskies have notched a fifth-place finish at the Boston College Meet (9/18), a sixth-place finish at the CCSU Invitational (9/8) and an eighth-place finish at the prestigious 39-team field Paul Short Invitational this past weekend at Lehigh University. Now at full strength with the return of 2000 All-American (West Haven, CT), the squad hopes to improve on an eighth-place finish at the New England Championship from last season. After the New England Championship, the Huskies will next compete on October 26 at the BIG EAST Championship, where they finished seventh last season, and then on November 10 at the NCAA Northeast Qualifier.
A Look Back At the Season So Far...
-- The University of Connecticut men’s cross country team finished sixth at the CCSU Invitational in its first meet of the season. UConn recorded 131 points in the 12-team meet. The Huskies, who were without the services of their top four runners including 2000 Cross Country All-American Dan Wilson (Sr., West Haven, CT), were paced by freshman Pat Blake (Lebanon, CT). Blake clocked 28:01.7 en route to a 10th place finish. Sophomore Alex Hudimatch (Watertown, CT) finished second among the Huskies, recording a time of 28:38.5 to finish 21st.
-- In its second meet of the 2001 season, the University of Connecticut men’s cross country team placed fifth in the seven-team Boston College meet on Tuesday, September 18. UConn finished with 133 points while Providence outdistanced the field with 18 points. Sophomore Eric Fleckenstein (Port Jefferson, NY), competing in his first meet of the season, paced the Huskies with a time of 25:34.8 to finish 13th overall. Junior (Randolph, NJ) also notched a top-30 finish, posting a time of 26:06.5 for 26th place. Junior Mike Hall (Washington, CT) and freshman Pat Blake (Lebanon, CT) each recorded top-50 finishes, placing 31st and 38th, respectively.
-- In his first meet of the year, All-American senior Dan Wilson (West Haven, CT) raced to an individual title as the University of Connecticut men’s cross country team placed eighth with 236 points at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University. Wilson, who garnered All-America status at the 2000 NCAA Cross Country Championship, claimed first place among all individuals with a time of 24:19.33. Sophomore Eric Fleckenstein (Port Jefferson, NY) notched his second top-20 place of the season, finishing 20th with a time of 25:18.70.
