Spring Break
The Daily OrangeXC | School-best runs at Big Easts still not enough for Syracuse
By Kevin Ware
Posted: 10/29/07, 11:13 PM EST Section: Sports
The history book shows last weekend was undoubtedly a success.
Led by a strong performance from junior Nana Sang-Bender, the Syracuse women's cross country team finished in fourth place, a program-best at the Big East Championships in Louisville, Ky. The men, pushed by junior Jeff Scull, tied a program-best mark, finishing in fifth place.
But SU head coach Chris Fox would have liked for his teams to have done better in Louisville.
"Each team was probably one place off," Fox said. "We finished where we were picked to finish, but we would have liked to have been one spot higher on each side."
The men's team, which has been ranked as high as No. 26 in the country this season, finished behind four ranked teams. No. 19 Louisville won the Big East title, and it was followed by No. 16 Georgetown, No. 23 Providence and No. 13 Notre Dame, respectively.
"Sometimes when you get to that level, it's hard," Fox said. "Four ranked teams on the men's side beat us. We needed everything to go perfect (to win). And when you're relying on seven runners at that level, it's tough."
If the men's team has any regrets from this past weekend, it was not beating highly touted Notre Dame, Fox said.
"It would have been a nice thing (to have beaten Notre Dame)," Fox said. "We didn't expect to beat them going in, but the door was open and we didn't take advantage of it."
Two bright spots for the men's team came from Scull and sophomore Daniel Busby, both of whom received All-Big East honors.
Scull led the men with an 11th place finish and a time of 24:05.25 in the race, which was 8,000 meters long. Busby didn't finish far behind as he tallied a 14th place result with a time of 24:09.70.
"Ultimately, Jeff could have finished as high as ninth and as low as 15th," Fox said. "So he was right where he was supposed to be."
Of the 15-man All-Big East team, only Louisville and Georgetown had more runners on the list than the Orange. Scull and Busby became the first men for the Orange to receive all-conference honors since John Bitok in 2003.
Led by a strong performance from junior Nana Sang-Bender, the Syracuse women's cross country team finished in fourth place, a program-best at the Big East Championships in Louisville, Ky. The men, pushed by junior Jeff Scull, tied a program-best mark, finishing in fifth place.
But SU head coach Chris Fox would have liked for his teams to have done better in Louisville.
"Each team was probably one place off," Fox said. "We finished where we were picked to finish, but we would have liked to have been one spot higher on each side."
The men's team, which has been ranked as high as No. 26 in the country this season, finished behind four ranked teams. No. 19 Louisville won the Big East title, and it was followed by No. 16 Georgetown, No. 23 Providence and No. 13 Notre Dame, respectively.
"Sometimes when you get to that level, it's hard," Fox said. "Four ranked teams on the men's side beat us. We needed everything to go perfect (to win). And when you're relying on seven runners at that level, it's tough."
If the men's team has any regrets from this past weekend, it was not beating highly touted Notre Dame, Fox said.
"It would have been a nice thing (to have beaten Notre Dame)," Fox said. "We didn't expect to beat them going in, but the door was open and we didn't take advantage of it."
Two bright spots for the men's team came from Scull and sophomore Daniel Busby, both of whom received All-Big East honors.
Scull led the men with an 11th place finish and a time of 24:05.25 in the race, which was 8,000 meters long. Busby didn't finish far behind as he tallied a 14th place result with a time of 24:09.70.
"Ultimately, Jeff could have finished as high as ninth and as low as 15th," Fox said. "So he was right where he was supposed to be."
Of the 15-man All-Big East team, only Louisville and Georgetown had more runners on the list than the Orange. Scull and Busby became the first men for the Orange to receive all-conference honors since John Bitok in 2003.
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