by Matthew Kappus
Daily Lobo
Despite having some top runners on the sideline, the UNM cross country team posted strong results this weekend.
First-year head coach Joe Franklin, who replaced retiring coaches Matt and Mark Henry in July, led his team to a pair of first-place finishes in his coaching debut at UNM.
Junior Michelle Corrigan captured the individual title, and the Lobo women's team won their first Lobo Invitational, despite having seniors Melanie Velarde and Leslie Luna out with injuries.
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The men's team finished second with All-American Jeremy Johnson on the sidelines to avoid injuries.
UNM competed against colleges from around the Southwest, including perennial powerhouse UTEP, in the largest cross country meet in the state. Johnson said running against UTEP was a good gauge for the
season.
"They are one of the top-five teams chosen to win this year," he said. "So to be able to run with guys like that makes you better."
Johnson said competitions like Saturday's are part of a new strategy for the Lobos, which involves "finding the right teams to beat."
"You beat some good teams, and it will help you go to nationals," Johnson said.
If the Lobos can keep up the success they had this weekend, runners say an NCAA Tournament appearance is possible this year.
The Lobos also need to continue building on the teamwork that got them the victory Saturday,
Corrigan said.
"If we can keep our pack together and keep everyone healthy, we have a shot," Corrigan said.
Corrigan, a transfer from Mississippi State, said many of the new Lobo runners are still getting used to running at New Mexico's high altitude. Three weeks into training at a mile high, she and some of her teammates are taking it slowly,
Corrigan said.
"The first couple of weeks took a little bit of adjustment," Corrigan said. "Workouts and stuff were really different."
Sophomore Vanessa Ortiz, who placed third, said working as a team helped the Lobos seal their victory. She said adjusting to the pace of her teammates and not getting off to too fast a start helped her time.
"We wanted to stay together and make sure everyone was grouped together for the last (1,000 meters). We just wanted to go out and do what we could do," she said.
Ortiz, the 2006 Mountain West Conference Women's Freshman of the Year, had a time of 18:42. Her teammate, Kara Henry, followed right behind with a fourth place
finish of 18:43.
On the men's side, Mat Ashton and Joseph Garcia placed 11th and 12th with times of 26:03 and 26:18.
Besides gauging competition and letting new Lobos get adjusted to the altitude, Franklin said the invitational gave him the opportunity to see high school athletes from across the state - runners that could be future Lobos.
Since coming to UNM, Franklin has spoken highly of New Mexico, saying it is internationally known as a great place to run.
Franklin said the large turnout Saturday proved that New Mexico is a runner's state.
"New Mexico is huge," he said. "Per capita, it is the best state in the country."
