2011 Year in Review Regular Season: The NAU
men’s and women’s teams traveled to two major tune-up meets during the regular season: the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational and the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree. At the 74th-annual Cowboy Jamboree, held in Stillwater, Okla., the men had the best showing of NAU’s two teams. Estrada claimed medalist honors over the 30 teams competing, leading the men to a third-place team finish. Chipangama, the 2009 champion, was next for the men in 17th. Kanuho and Burton finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in leading the women’s team to a fourth-place finish. The Wisconsin Adidas Invite proved to be a good measure of talent against the nation’s best for both teams. With 20 of the nation’s top 30 teams competing in the men’s race and a similar number running the women’s race, there was valuable experience to be gained. Estrada led the pack once again, finishing in third place and leading the men to a respectable eighth-place team finish. Chipangama and Freriks were second and third for NAU, coming in 39th and 66th, respectively. Kanuho (41st) and Burton (67th) led a young women’s squad to a 28th-place team mark, gaining valuable experience for the five returners in 2012 that also competed.
George Kyte Classic: In the Lumberjacks’ annual home season opener, the men and women were able to get a taste of what competition in 2011 would be like. Leading the way for the men was Freriks, who in finishing runner-up gave the men a similar finish as a team after capturing four of the top seven places. Bahlbi Gebreyohanns took fourth, Coloe came in sixth, and Hoover, racing in his first collegiate event, took seventh. Rounding out the scoring for the men’s squad was sophomore Cody Reed in 12th. Myles Kloer (20th) and Daniel Filipcik (25th) also competed for the men. In the women’s race, Kanuho had her first team-leading effort of her remarkable junior season, finishing fifth overall to lead the third-place women. Justus, also racing in her first collegiate event, came in 10th, and was followed by Lawrence (19th), Lisette Michaels (24th), and Kerri Lenihan (26th) in completeing their team score of 68. Also finishing for the women were Lauren Hill (27th), Sarah Raber (28th), Carissa Gwerder (29th), Sarah Baker (30th), and Shayla Freeman (33rd). 2012 Lumberjack Cross Country Media Guide
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