Men’s cross-country
With eight runners returning, including junior standout Alex Brutvan, and five promising newcomers on-board, the men’s cross country team is looking forward to a successful 2004 season. Led by Head Coach Mike Ward, this year’s squad has gained the valuable experience necessary to compete at the highest levels.
Brutvan returns after a very successful 2003 campaign. He was the Hurricanes’ top finisher in all seven events including victories at the FIU Invitational and Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Invitational. He placed 35th overall in the Big East Cross Country Championships and 55th in the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships.
Brutvan spent this summer recovering from injuries he sustained towards the end of last season but Coach Ward believes he will be ready to go once the season starts.
Along with Brutvan and junior James Mullaly, the Hurricanes return sophomores Tom Berry, Zach Castiglione, and William Bludgus, the team’s lone senior.
Berry was the Hurricanes’ second- best finisher in all seven events last season, including second-place overall finishes at the FIU Invitational and the PBA Sailfish Invitational, as well as a top-55 finish at the Big East Championships. Castiglione was a consistent performer for the Hurricanes, scoring in five of seven events. He recorded two top-10 overall finishes, as well as a 65th-place finish at the Big East Championships.
Women’s cross-country
The Miami Hurricanes women’s cross-country team has begun preparations for the upcoming season with renewed energy. With the move to the ACC, the Hurricanes are excited about the possibilities the upcoming season brings.
The Hurricanes return their top three runners from last season including junior Melanie Schultz, sophomore Lindsay Rohrs, and senior Marilyn Ruiz.
Schultz was the Hurricanes’ top finisher in five of the six meets last season, including individual victories at the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Invitational and the FIU Invitational. She also recorded a 40th place finish at the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships.
According to Ward, Schultz should be the leader on the team this season and he looks forward to seeing her post good results.
Rohrs competed in five events as a freshman for the Hurricanes in 2003, placing second on the team in four of those meets. She also placed in the top 75 at the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships.
Ruiz, the lone senior on the team, was a consistent performer for the Hurricanes last season and was UM’s top finisher at the Hatter Cross Country Invitational. Other returning runners include sophomores Ginou Etienne, Allison McElhaney, Melissa Preston, and junior Zully Marie Pascual.