Oct. 28, 1997
Sun Devils to Compete in Pac-10 Championships
1997 ResultsArizona State travels to Stanford, Calif., for the 1997 Pac-10 Cross Country Championships this Saturday, November 1. The Stanford Golf Course is the site of this year's championship races. The Sun Devils have already run that course once this season, Sept. 27 in the Stanford Invitational.
Pac-10 Prominence
Six Pac-10 schools are ranked in the Marin Surfacing NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country poll. Stanford is ranked first, Oregon is fifth, Washington State is ranked 10th, Arizona is rated 14th, Washington is slated at No. 18 and UCLA is 22nd. Four schools are ranked in the Finish Lynx Women's Cross Country poll. Stanford is No.1 followed by No. 4 Oregon, No. 13 UCLA and 14th-ranked Washington.
Clear-Cut Leaders
Ari Rodriguez and Mary Duerbeck are the two Sun Devils to watch on the course. Rodriguez (Tempe - Corna del Sol) returned to competition for his senior season after redshirting a year ago. He has been ASU's top finisher in three of four meets this season. Duerbeck has been the Sun Devils' frontrunner in each ASU's four meets and won the individual title at the ASU Invitational.
Sun Devils Look to Improve
The ASU men's highest finish in the Pac-10 came in 1968, when the Sun Devils finished second. Since returning to competition in 1984, after a seven-year absence, ASU has finished no higher than fifth. ASU has placed eighth in each of the last four years. The ASU women began competition at the Pac-10's in 1979. The Sun Devils highest finish was a third-place showing in 1984. ASU has finished ninth each of the last two years.