ENMU Cross Country Teams Announce Award Winners for 2004-05

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University men’s and women’s cross country teams have announced their award winners for the 2004-05 academic year. Head Coach Joel McMullen and Assistant Coach Matthew Gordillo designated which players received varsity letters and indicated which athletes were named the inaugural recipients of the Mike Boit Award as Runners of the Year.

Mike Boit competed at ENMU in cross country and track in the early to mid 1970s. He received international recognition as a world-class miler, who competed for his native Kenya in the Summer Olympics.

Boit set several ENMU records, including the mile run in 3:54.8 and an 800-meter run in 1.43.8, both in 1975. At the time, they were NAIA national records. He also ran an NAIA record 1:45.1 split on the anchor leg of Eastern’s sprint medley relay team that set a school record of 3:15.5 in 1973. The medley relay time was the third fastest time recorded in the world that year. Boit also ran the anchor mile in 3:59.6 for an NAIA distance medley relay record in 1973, as the Greyhounds set a school record with an overall time of 9:44.2.

The ENMU men’s cross country team won NAIA national titles in 1973 and 1974, with Boit leading the way. The 1974 team won the national meet with 28 points, setting an NAIA record for best score. The Greyhounds also placed fourth in the NAIA in cross country in 1972.

Eastern’s Mike Boit Award winners for 2004-05, chosen as the result of their placings at cross country meets during the 2004 season, were freshman Jason Garcia (Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo HS) and junior Lynnae Chavez (Cimarron, NM/Cimarron HS).

“I am very proud of Jason and Lynnae for their efforts this year, and we are so blessed to have them on the squad,” McMullen said. “We are looking for great things again from them next year, in what I believe will be a hotly-contested race for next year’s prestigious Mike Boit Award.”

ENMU varsity letters were earned by the following Greyhounds: Garcia, Patrick McGuire (Jr., Tacoma, WA/Highline CC), Orlando Sanchez (Jr., Los Lunas, NM/Los Lunas HS), Kennedy Baiywo (Fr., Eldoret, Kenya/Samoi Secondary School), Ricardo Hernandez (So., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad HS) and Tyrone Lockett (Fr., Levelland, TX/Levelland HS).

Varsity letters also were won by the following Zias: Chavez, Brittany Bauer (Fr., San Antonio, TX/Ronald Reagan HS), Karissa Huskey (Sr., Weeping Water, NE/Nebraska Wesleyan University), Laura Shorty (Fr., Crownpoint, NM/Crownpoint HS) and Laura Rivera (So., El Paso, TX/Montwood HS).

The ENMU men’s cross country squad placed fifth at the Lone Star Conference Meet in 2004 and finished 13th at the NCAA South Central Regional. The Zias took ninth place at the Lone Star Conference meet.