University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pittsburgh Prepares for Big East Championships
10/31/2000 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 15, 2000
Loretto, Pa. - The University of Pittsburgh cross country teams both competed over the weekend, but at different meets. The women's team was at the Red Flash Invitational, placing third, and the men participated in the Wolverine Interregional Invitational, finishing 13th.
As she has done all season, Amanda Schmidt (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) paced the Panthers. The junior registered her fourth top 10 finish of the season, placing 10th with a time of 19:32.3. And for the second consecutive meet, junior Beth Rocks (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) and senior Sarah McMillan (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) turned in solid performances. Rocks was just over three seconds off Schmidt's pace to finish 11th (19:35.6), while McMillan ran 19:38.0 to place 12th. After a 16th-place finish in her previous meet, freshman Dawn Hilgert (Columbia, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) turned in her second top 20 performance, placing 15th with a time of 20:09.5.
The men faced a tough field at the Wolverine Interregional Invitational, including 1999 NCAA Cross Country Championship participants Michigan and James Madison, as well as traditional track powers such as Texas, Florida and Tennessee. Like the women's team, a trio of Panthers continue to lead the way. Senior Mike Head (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) turned in a season-best time of 26:25 to finish 41st. Freshman Mike Diano (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) and senior Justin Wiley (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Lower Merion) were on each others heels, turning in times of 27:31 and 27:32, respectively.
RED FLASH INVITATIONAL Oct. 14, 2000 - LORETTO, PA. HOST: St. Francis (PA)WOMEN'S RESULTS 3rd of 4 teams with 71 points
10th Amanda Schmidt 19:32.3 11th Beth Rocks 19:35.6 12th Sarah McMillan 19:38.0 15th Dawn Hilgert 20:09.5 26th Misha Bilyeu 20:44.7 27th Dee Cole 21:06.2 28th Neemah Payne 21:30.6 33rd Rachel Rothe 22:13.6
