Saturday, September 6
Greyhounds and Zias at Texas Tech Invitational 8:00 am
@Lubbock, Texas

Ready to Go...is what the Eastern New Mexico University cross country teams are. Under Head Coach Jeff Arthur, the Greyhounds and Zias are in their second season of competition since the program was reinstated in 1996.
The Zias...will be led by returning letterwinners Vern Samaniego (So., Sonora, Texas), Shilohe Polega (So., Portales) and Lisa Hippely (Jr., Chardon, Ohio). Samaniego was the top runner for the Zias last season. She had a 5K personal best of 21:06.15 at the Lone Star Conference Championship Meet in October at Texas A&M-Commerce. Polega also ran a personal best in the same meet of 21:07.56. Hippely finished the race with a time of 28:14.25.

Joining the Zias this year are freshman Mindy Clark of Carlsbad and senior walk-on Jeanne Laizure of Fort Worth, Texas. Clark was a New Mexico state qualifier for the Cavegirls for the past three years. Laizure lettered in cross country her senior year at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth before attending New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell.

The Greyhounds...have two letterwinners returning in Billy Van Curen (Sr., Artesia) and Henry Varela (So., Pecos). Van Curen was the only runner for the ENMU squad at the Lone Star Conference Championship Meet last October. He ran the 8K in 33:37.39. Varela was the top runner for the Hounds for the majority of the season, but was ill the weekend of the LSC meet.

Ready to help out Van Curen and Varela are freshmen Jason Curio (Roswell) and Allen Sanchez (Carlsbad), and walk-ons John Lomasney (So., Gallup) and Dave Anderson (Sr., Albuquerque). Sanchez was a New Mexico state qualifier for the Caveman for three years and finished sixth in the 800m run (1:59) at the state track & field meet. Curio and Anderson were three-year letterwinners for their high school programs - Curio at Roswell High School and Anderson at Sandia High School. Lomasney was a two-year letterwinner at Gallup High School with a 5K personal best of 17:11.

Waiting on the Clearinghouse...is the name of the game for two Greyhound runners. Jason Curio and Allen Sanchez are still waiting for final clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse. Anderson is working on an appeal to the NCAA regarding his semesters of competition.

Quotes from Jeff..."We are ready to go. It will be nice to go into the first meet of the season injury-free."

The New Lone Star Conference...the Zias and Hounds are using their five regular season meets to prepare for the 1997 Lone Star Conference Championship Meet on Saturday, October 25 at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. With conference expansion, thirteen women's and eleven men's teams will compete for the LSC title.

Up Next...for ENMU is the Abilene Christian University Invitational on Friday, September 12 at 5:00 pm in Abilene, Texas.