Posted: Sep 09, 2011
UC Irvine Invite kicks off season for cross country teams
ORANGE, Calif. – With just five returners on the 2011 Chapman University cross country team roster, several new faces will race for the first time in their careers Saturday in the U.C. Irvine Invitational at the Anteater Recreation Center. Nine of Chapman's 16 runners this season are freshmen.
Of the five returners, four are on the men's side including sophomore D.J. Smithers and junior Zac Campbell, both of which were named to the Association of Division III All-Independent cross country team in 2010. It had been three years since the last male Chapman runner made the All-Independent team.
Smithers paced the Panthers in four of six races in 2010 with a season-best time of 28:29.1 in the 8-kilometer race at the Biola Invitational while Campbell also had his top time of the year of 29:04.9 in the same race. Also returning for the men's team is junior Angel Flores and sophomore Kevin Tatlock. All four of the men's returning runners competed for Chapman last season at the NCAA Division III Regionals in Salem, Ore.
For the women, sophomore Kelly Kneis is the lone returner. She ended 2010 strong as the Panthers' top finisher at the Division III Regionals with a time of 27:13.82 in the 6K which was her best time of the year at that distance. She set a season-best 5K time of 22:02.6 at the Biola Invite.
by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant