Sports Release
September 18, 1999

HAWK HARRIS FINISHES 3RD AT FORT LEWIS CROSS COUNTRY MEET
DURANGO, CO — Senior runner Hawk Harris (Hobbs, NM/Hobbs H.S.) earned a third place finish among college runners at the Fort Lewis College Tom Strandt Invitational cross country meet on Sat., Sept. 18 in Durango, Colo. Harris finished the 8-kilometer race in 28:35 to finish exactly one minute behind the winner, Jarvis Morningdove of Fort Lewis College (27:35).

Veronica Samaniego (Sr., Sonora, TX/Sonora H.S.) placed 10th among college runners in the women’s race to lead the ENMU women’s team. Her time for the 6K race was 26:00. The winner was Gretchen Grindle of Colorado College in 24.10.

Eastern’s women’s team placed 4th out of 5 teams with a score of 105. Fort Lewis won the women’s title with a score of 34 to edge Colorado College at 37. Mesa State was third at 81, followed by ENMU. Trinidad State J.C. rounded out the women’s field with a score of 105. The ENMU men did not record a team score.

Fort Lewis won the men’s championship with a score of 18. SW Indian Polytechnic was second at 50, followed by Colorado College at 63. Harris finished 5th overall, including unattached runners in second and third place.

Other runners for ENMU were Michael Sanchez (Fr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.), David Gonzalez (So., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.), and Juan Castanon (Jr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.). Sanchez placed 7th among college runners and 11th overall in a time of 29:21. Gonzalez was 16th among college runners, clocking in at 30:00. Castanon was 19th among college runners in a time of 30:27.

In addition to Samaniego, other top runners for Eastern’s women’s team were Mindy Clark (Jr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.), Lindsey Pfaff (Fr., Los Alamos, NM/Los Alamos), Michele Rice (So., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) and Jerrilene Begay (Crownpoint, NM/Crownpoint H.S.).

Clark placed 21st out of all runners scoring for their teams. Her time was 27:53. Pfaff was 23rd in 28:24 and Rice was 25th with a time of 28:38. Begay finished in 26th at 29:33.

The Zias and the Greyhounds return to action on Sat., Oct. 2 when they host the Enchanted Desert Classic. The Classic, which will be held at the ENMU cross country course adjacent to Greyhound Stadium, will start at 9:00 a.m. (MDT).