Oct. 29, 2004
Princess Anne, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's men and women's cross-country teams are in Greensboro, N.C. preparing for their season ending event, the quest for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship. The women's race begins at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday morning at Hagan stone Park in Greensboro. The men follow at 10:30 a.m.
UMES looks to upset the defending champions Norfolk State for the men and Howard on the women's side. The men's race is an eight-kilometer course while the women's is five.
The Fighting Hawks are paced by Barnabas Togom who had the third fastest time in the conference this season with a 26:14.36. Togom was the runner-up last season with a time of 25:30. He will be one of the favorites for the Most Outstanding Performer honor.
On the women's side the favorite is definitely Eva Slavikova. The Lady Hawk has won every race but one of the six that she started this season. She holds the fastest two times in the conference this season with an 18:19.00. being her best. Slavikova finished fourth last season as a freshman with a time of 19:15.
Other Hawks who look to make an impact include Geffory Rutto and Damion Drummond on the men's side. Rutto, a transfer from Eastern Kentucky University, has the 15th fastest time in the MEAC. Drummond took a top ten finish at the event last season. On the women's side fellow Czech Republic star Pavla Zavoralova, a freshman for the Lady Hawks. Zavoralova has the sixth fastest time in the MEAC and is the third fastest individual performer.
The rest of the conference will be ready to run as well and give the Hawks a true challenge.
The Norfolk State Spartans will try to win their fifth consecutive MEAC Men's Cross Country Championship led by Cleophus Koros, Francis Kirong and Patrick Scott who hold six of the top 20 times in the MEAC this season. Koros' time of 25:42 at the North Carolina Championships is the fastest time in the conference this season by almost 27 seconds making him one of the favorites to finish first. Koros finished fourth last year in the championships running a time of 26:09. Omar Osbourne of Florida A&M, Brandon King of Hampton, and Kirong all ran times under 26:22 this season and will challenge for the Outstanding Performer honor.
Howard will look to three-peat as women's conference champions led by two-time defending MEAC Outstanding Performer Tasha Harris. Harris ran a time of 18:47 in last year's championship finishing first. The Lady Bison only have two of the top 20 times in the conference this year and will be challenge by Hampton and Norfolk State.
The Lady Pirates own seven of the top 20 MEAC times including two in the top five ran by Jitka Vaculikova. NSU is led by a trio of women in Denisha Hudson, Linah Tallam and Fabiana Perlingeiro who have posted five of the fastest times in the MEAC this year.
For more information on this weekend's MEAC Championships, please contact the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Office of Sports Information at (410) 845-1519, or call the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at (336) 275-9961.
Portions of this story taken from the Official MEAC Media Relations Release.
