Friday, November 13
College Station
10:00 AM
Texas A&M
vs
NCAA South Central Regional
Karis Jochen fourth in South Central, advances to NCAA Championships
Nov 13, 2015 | Cross Country
COLLEGE STATION – A fourth-place performance for Texas A&M junior Karis Jochen earned her a berth into the NCAA Championship field, held next Saturday, as she covered the 6,000-meter distance in 19 minutes, 56.7 seconds on the Dale Watts Course.
"I'm very excited," exclaimed Jochen. "Ever since I signed with Texas A&M I dreamed about the first time I would earn the opportunity to wear the white uniform in a national championship event. That's what today's all about.
"Obviously, I wanted to finish better than fourth place, but today was about getting to the next round. I can't wait to see what I can do next week."
Texas A&M assistant coach Wendel McRaven added: "Karis did what she needed to do. That's what we talked about before the race, just do what you do, there's no major strategies, just get up in the front group and put yourself in good position.
"We tend to keep running better each meet, and I think she has an even better race in her. At minimum in Louisville next week, her goal is to be All-American."
In the men's race the Aggies finished third, just missing one of the two automatic team qualifying positions by 16 points. A&M juniors Austin Wells and Cameron Villarreal led the squad in placing 11th and 12th. Wells covered the 10,000-meter distance in 30:24.3 as Villarreal clocked 30:28.2.
"It hurts getting so close, having the season we had," noted Wells. "We wanted to get top two. We still have a shot with a possible at-large selection, we'll see tonight. It was a good team race."
McRaven stated: "Our men really ran well. We weren't perfect, but we have really improved a lot. We have made a huge jump. Our six runners all finished in the top 33, and we had four earn All-Region.
"We had a lot of people improve and I'm excited to see that progress. It bodes well for track season. We will have to wait and see if we get an at-large bid."
Arkansas and Texas placed first and second in both races in advancing to the NCAA Championships. The Razorback men won with 51 points over the Longhorns (69) and Aggies (85) with Lamar (95) fourth. Arkansas claimed its third consecutive region title while Texas finished as runner-up for the third consecutive year.
Houston's Brian Barraza clocked a winning time of 30:07.4 for the men's individual title with Lamar's Iliass Aouani (30:09.9) runner-up. A pair of Razorbacks, Gabe Gonzales (30:11.3) and Frankline Tonui (30:12.7), finished third and fourth as Jacob Pickle (30:13.1) was the first finisher for Texas in fifth.
Earning the other pair of individual berths into the NCAA Championships were Charles Mathenge of SFA (30:16.4) and Isaac Lalang of Arkansas-Little Rock (30:17.2) as they placed eighth and ninth.
In the women's race a tally of 40 points had the Razorbacks winning a fifth consecutive title with Texas (105) runner-up over SMU (132) and Baylor (134).
Dominique Scott of Arkansas defended her individual title with a time of 19:35.3. Baylor's Maggie Montoya (19:50.5) and Cali Roper of Rice (19:53.9) finished second and third. Behind Jochen in fifth place was Kaitlin Flattmann of Arkansas (20:00.7) while Lamar's Verity Ockenden (20:01.9) claimed the fourth individual berth to the national championships.
Jochen becomes the ninth Aggie female to reach the national field over the past 11 years, where A&M has had 12 entrants during that span as three A&M runners qualified twice.
"I had so many friends and family here, my parents and grandma got to come with their friends, and they know how long I have worked for this opportunity," said Jochen. "To be able to share this day with them is very special."
Jochen will seek to earn just the sixth All-America honor among the A&M women since 2000 with a top 40 finish at the NCAA Championships. Last season the Aggies had a pair of All-Americans with Grace Fletcher (29th) and Hillary Montgomery (39th).
"I'm a strength runner so I'm not too worried about having to run nationals so soon," noted Jochen of next week's race. "Maybe it will be to my advantage because I can recover quickly. I felt really good today. The entire race felt very under control, and running with the lead pack felt comfortable. The last 600 it was a pretty tight finish, and I didn't finish as well as I would have liked to."
The Texas A&M men recorded a third-place effort in the region meet for the fifth time since 2002, recording its best score as a third-place team. The Aggies improved from a seventh-place finish the past two seasons.
An impressive run from Christian Farris had the Aggie sophomore placing 14th in finishing behind the tandem of Wells and Villarreal as he covered the course in 30:31.7. Alex Riba was the next A&M runner to finish with a 30:56.9 clocking to place 24th. All four were on the All-Region team for a top 25 performance.
"I started the race feeling pretty good, then I kind of died a little bit in the middle," said Wells. "I recovered and came back over the last 3km. Christian stepped up big-time today. It's good having depth so if one guy doesn't do well another one can step up."
The fifth finisher for the Aggies was Colin Stoeber as he placed 30th in 31:17.3 and Ryan Teel finished 33rd in 31:24.2 as the sixth A&M runner. A seventh entrant for the Aggies, Juan Uribe, did not finish.
In the women's race Kelsey Persyn was the second Aggie to complete the course as she ran 21:05.3 to place 38th. Then the tandem of Katie Watson and Haley Deakins crossed the finish line in 49th and 50th place with times of 21:23.2 and 21:29.1. Kaitlin Tanner claimed the fifth position for A&M in finishing 66th with a clocking of 21:43.1.
Katie Pia was the sixth Aggie runner, placing 67th in 21:45.1, with Emily Willingham finishing 74th with a 22:00.8.
NCAA South Central Regional
Texas A&M - Dale Watts Course
College Station, Texas
WOMEN
NCAA qualifying teams - Arkansas, Texas.
NCAA qualifying individuals – Dominique Scott, Arkansas; Maggie Montoya, Baylor; Cali Roper, Rice; Karis Jochen, Texas A&M.
MEN
NCAA qualifying teams - Arkansas, Texas.
NCAA qualifying individuals – Brian Barraza, Houston; Iliass Aouani, Lamar; Gabe Gonzales, Arkansas; Frankline Tonui, Arkansas.
Team Scores
Women: 1. Arkansas 40; 2. Texas 105; 3. SMU 132; 4. Baylor 134; 5. Rice 145; 6. Stephen F. Austin 155; 7. Texas A&M 190; 8. Lamar 190; 9. UT-Arlington 267; 10. McNeese State 280; 11. Tulane 292; 12. Houston 338; 13. North Texas 356; 14. Arkansas State 377; 15. UTSA 395; 16. Texas Rio Grande Valley 418; 17. Houston Baptist 446; 18. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 475; 19. Southeastern Louisiana 588.
Men: 1. Arkansas 51; 2. Texas 69; 3. Texas A&M 85; 4. Lamar 95; 5. Stephen F. Austin 139; 6. Baylor 192; 7. North Texas 238; 8. UT-Arlington 253; 9. McNeese State 259; 10. Houston 287; 11. Rice 297; 12. Arkansas State 339; 13. Central Arkansas 369; 14. UTSA 395; 15. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 409; 16. Louisiana-Lafayette 488; 17. Sam Houston State 456; 18. Louisiana Tech 488; 19. Texas Rio Grande Valley 494; 20. Houston Baptist 497; 21. Tulane 545; 22. Louisiana-Monroe 585; 23. New Orleans 697; 24. Southeastern Louisiana 697.
All-Region Team
Top 25 finishers in men's and women's race earn All-Region honors. File attached.
Texas A&M at South Central Region
Year Men Women NCAA Championship Qualifiers
2015 3) 85 7) 190 Karis Jochen
2014 7) 177 6) 176 Hillary Montgomery, Grace Fletcher
2013 7) 217 =2) 116 Isaac Spencer, Hillary Montgomery
2012 3) 93 3) 140 Henry Lelei, James Hodges
2011 2) 56 3) 90 Texas A&M men, Natosha Rogers
2010 5) 166 5) 139 Natosha Rogers, Tara Upshaw
2009 4) 89 9) 285 Joe Sauvageau
2008 1) 39 6) 186 Texas A&M men, Christina Munoz, Elizabeth Slaughter
2007 3) 101 4) 140 Christina Munoz
2006 5) 165 3) 104 Brian McKinstry, Meredith Snow
2005 3) 128 6) 193 Sarah Balfour
2004 8) 226 5) 135
"I'm very excited," exclaimed Jochen. "Ever since I signed with Texas A&M I dreamed about the first time I would earn the opportunity to wear the white uniform in a national championship event. That's what today's all about.
"Obviously, I wanted to finish better than fourth place, but today was about getting to the next round. I can't wait to see what I can do next week."
Texas A&M assistant coach Wendel McRaven added: "Karis did what she needed to do. That's what we talked about before the race, just do what you do, there's no major strategies, just get up in the front group and put yourself in good position.
"We tend to keep running better each meet, and I think she has an even better race in her. At minimum in Louisville next week, her goal is to be All-American."
In the men's race the Aggies finished third, just missing one of the two automatic team qualifying positions by 16 points. A&M juniors Austin Wells and Cameron Villarreal led the squad in placing 11th and 12th. Wells covered the 10,000-meter distance in 30:24.3 as Villarreal clocked 30:28.2.
"It hurts getting so close, having the season we had," noted Wells. "We wanted to get top two. We still have a shot with a possible at-large selection, we'll see tonight. It was a good team race."
McRaven stated: "Our men really ran well. We weren't perfect, but we have really improved a lot. We have made a huge jump. Our six runners all finished in the top 33, and we had four earn All-Region.
"We had a lot of people improve and I'm excited to see that progress. It bodes well for track season. We will have to wait and see if we get an at-large bid."
Arkansas and Texas placed first and second in both races in advancing to the NCAA Championships. The Razorback men won with 51 points over the Longhorns (69) and Aggies (85) with Lamar (95) fourth. Arkansas claimed its third consecutive region title while Texas finished as runner-up for the third consecutive year.
Houston's Brian Barraza clocked a winning time of 30:07.4 for the men's individual title with Lamar's Iliass Aouani (30:09.9) runner-up. A pair of Razorbacks, Gabe Gonzales (30:11.3) and Frankline Tonui (30:12.7), finished third and fourth as Jacob Pickle (30:13.1) was the first finisher for Texas in fifth.
Earning the other pair of individual berths into the NCAA Championships were Charles Mathenge of SFA (30:16.4) and Isaac Lalang of Arkansas-Little Rock (30:17.2) as they placed eighth and ninth.
In the women's race a tally of 40 points had the Razorbacks winning a fifth consecutive title with Texas (105) runner-up over SMU (132) and Baylor (134).
Dominique Scott of Arkansas defended her individual title with a time of 19:35.3. Baylor's Maggie Montoya (19:50.5) and Cali Roper of Rice (19:53.9) finished second and third. Behind Jochen in fifth place was Kaitlin Flattmann of Arkansas (20:00.7) while Lamar's Verity Ockenden (20:01.9) claimed the fourth individual berth to the national championships.
Jochen becomes the ninth Aggie female to reach the national field over the past 11 years, where A&M has had 12 entrants during that span as three A&M runners qualified twice.
"I had so many friends and family here, my parents and grandma got to come with their friends, and they know how long I have worked for this opportunity," said Jochen. "To be able to share this day with them is very special."
Jochen will seek to earn just the sixth All-America honor among the A&M women since 2000 with a top 40 finish at the NCAA Championships. Last season the Aggies had a pair of All-Americans with Grace Fletcher (29th) and Hillary Montgomery (39th).
"I'm a strength runner so I'm not too worried about having to run nationals so soon," noted Jochen of next week's race. "Maybe it will be to my advantage because I can recover quickly. I felt really good today. The entire race felt very under control, and running with the lead pack felt comfortable. The last 600 it was a pretty tight finish, and I didn't finish as well as I would have liked to."
The Texas A&M men recorded a third-place effort in the region meet for the fifth time since 2002, recording its best score as a third-place team. The Aggies improved from a seventh-place finish the past two seasons.
An impressive run from Christian Farris had the Aggie sophomore placing 14th in finishing behind the tandem of Wells and Villarreal as he covered the course in 30:31.7. Alex Riba was the next A&M runner to finish with a 30:56.9 clocking to place 24th. All four were on the All-Region team for a top 25 performance.
"I started the race feeling pretty good, then I kind of died a little bit in the middle," said Wells. "I recovered and came back over the last 3km. Christian stepped up big-time today. It's good having depth so if one guy doesn't do well another one can step up."
The fifth finisher for the Aggies was Colin Stoeber as he placed 30th in 31:17.3 and Ryan Teel finished 33rd in 31:24.2 as the sixth A&M runner. A seventh entrant for the Aggies, Juan Uribe, did not finish.
In the women's race Kelsey Persyn was the second Aggie to complete the course as she ran 21:05.3 to place 38th. Then the tandem of Katie Watson and Haley Deakins crossed the finish line in 49th and 50th place with times of 21:23.2 and 21:29.1. Kaitlin Tanner claimed the fifth position for A&M in finishing 66th with a clocking of 21:43.1.
Katie Pia was the sixth Aggie runner, placing 67th in 21:45.1, with Emily Willingham finishing 74th with a 22:00.8.
NCAA South Central Regional
Texas A&M - Dale Watts Course
College Station, Texas
WOMEN
NCAA qualifying teams - Arkansas, Texas.
NCAA qualifying individuals – Dominique Scott, Arkansas; Maggie Montoya, Baylor; Cali Roper, Rice; Karis Jochen, Texas A&M.
MEN
NCAA qualifying teams - Arkansas, Texas.
NCAA qualifying individuals – Brian Barraza, Houston; Iliass Aouani, Lamar; Gabe Gonzales, Arkansas; Frankline Tonui, Arkansas.
Team Scores
Women: 1. Arkansas 40; 2. Texas 105; 3. SMU 132; 4. Baylor 134; 5. Rice 145; 6. Stephen F. Austin 155; 7. Texas A&M 190; 8. Lamar 190; 9. UT-Arlington 267; 10. McNeese State 280; 11. Tulane 292; 12. Houston 338; 13. North Texas 356; 14. Arkansas State 377; 15. UTSA 395; 16. Texas Rio Grande Valley 418; 17. Houston Baptist 446; 18. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 475; 19. Southeastern Louisiana 588.
Men: 1. Arkansas 51; 2. Texas 69; 3. Texas A&M 85; 4. Lamar 95; 5. Stephen F. Austin 139; 6. Baylor 192; 7. North Texas 238; 8. UT-Arlington 253; 9. McNeese State 259; 10. Houston 287; 11. Rice 297; 12. Arkansas State 339; 13. Central Arkansas 369; 14. UTSA 395; 15. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 409; 16. Louisiana-Lafayette 488; 17. Sam Houston State 456; 18. Louisiana Tech 488; 19. Texas Rio Grande Valley 494; 20. Houston Baptist 497; 21. Tulane 545; 22. Louisiana-Monroe 585; 23. New Orleans 697; 24. Southeastern Louisiana 697.
All-Region Team
Top 25 finishers in men's and women's race earn All-Region honors. File attached.
Texas A&M at South Central Region
Year Men Women NCAA Championship Qualifiers
2015 3) 85 7) 190 Karis Jochen
2014 7) 177 6) 176 Hillary Montgomery, Grace Fletcher
2013 7) 217 =2) 116 Isaac Spencer, Hillary Montgomery
2012 3) 93 3) 140 Henry Lelei, James Hodges
2011 2) 56 3) 90 Texas A&M men, Natosha Rogers
2010 5) 166 5) 139 Natosha Rogers, Tara Upshaw
2009 4) 89 9) 285 Joe Sauvageau
2008 1) 39 6) 186 Texas A&M men, Christina Munoz, Elizabeth Slaughter
2007 3) 101 4) 140 Christina Munoz
2006 5) 165 3) 104 Brian McKinstry, Meredith Snow
2005 3) 128 6) 193 Sarah Balfour
2004 8) 226 5) 135
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
NCAA Championships Preview: Wendel. McRaven
Monday, November 17
NCAA Regional Preview: Wendel McRaven
Wednesday, November 12
SEC Championships Preview: Wendel McRaven
Monday, October 28
NCAA Championships Preview: Wendel McRaven
Tuesday, November 14
