FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:			CONTACT: Peggy Curtin
October 29, 1999					(219) 631-7516

NOTRE DAME MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CAPTURES BIG EAST TITLE; WOMEN FINISH FIFTH

Junior Ryan Shay wins individual title; Joe Piane named men's coach of the
year.

	(NOTRE DAME, Ind.) - - The 10th-ranked Notre Dame men's cross
country team won its second title in three years, while the women placed
fifth, at the BIG EAST championships Friday morning at Van Cortlandt Park
in Bronx, N.Y. The Irish were led by junior Ryan Shay (Central Lake,
Mich.), who became the first Notre Dame runner to win the BIG EAST
individual crown with an 8K time of 24:22.
	"I don't think anyone thought we could win back in July, but we had
a good solid summer of training, which is paying dividends for us now,"
said Piane, who was named the 1999 BIG EAST Coach of the Year.
	Shay, whose time was the third-fastest in course history, was
joined on the all-BIG EAST team (top 15) by sophomore Luke Watson
(Stillwater, Minn.), who finished third in 24:36, senior Ryan Maxwell, who
placed ninth in 24:59, and sophomore Marc Striowski (Toronto, Ont.), who
finished 11th. Senior John Dudley (Westwood, Mass.) placed 19th overall in
25:33 to round out the Irish top five. The team as a whole scored 43
points, seven points lower than when it won the title two years ago also at
Van Cortlandt Park. The Irish finished ahead of seventh-ranked Georgetown
(57 points), 14th-ranked Villanova (60 points) and defending champion
Providence (61 points).
	"We had lost to Georgetown twice this season at the Notre Dame
Invitational and the pre-national meet, so obviously, three times was a
charm," Piane said.
	On the women's side, the Irish placed fifth out of 13 teams (98
points) for the second-straight season behind cross country powerhouses
Georgetown (41 points), Providence (59 points), defending NCAA champion
Villanova (74 points) and Boston College (78 points). Two-time All-American
Carmen Douma of Villanova won the women's individual title with a time of
17:20.
	Notre Dame senior Alison Klemmer (Troy,Mich.) had a career-best
finish at the BIG EAST meet, placing fourth in the field of 126 runners
with a 5K time of 17:39. Freshman Jennifer Handley (Barrie, Ont.), who
along with Klemmer garnered all-conference honors, placed 12th in 17:59.
The other top finishers for Notre Dame included senior Patty Rice
(Mishawaka, Ind.), who placed 23rd in 18:34, senior Erin Luby (Inverness,
Ill.), who finished 26th in 18:38, and junior Chrissy Kuenster (Wheaton,
Ill.), who placed 33rd in 18:47.
	Both Notre Dame squads will take two weeks off before heading to
the NCAA District IV championships in Terre Haute, Ind., in a quest to
qualify for the NCAA championships slated for Monday, Nov. 22, in
Bloomington, Ind.



-more-


ADD 1-1-1-1
BIG EAST CC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men's Team Results			Women's Team Results
1. NOTRE DAME	43			1. Georgetown		41
2. Georgetown	57			2. Providence		59
3. Villanova	60			3. Villanova		74
4. Providence	61			4. Boston College		78
5. Boston College	146		5. NOTRE DAME		98
6. West Virginia	178		6. West Virginia		193
7. Connecticut 	190			7. Syracuse			197
8. Pittsburgh	240			8. Rutgers			221
9. Seton Hall	291			9. Connecticut		245
10. Rutgers		299		10. Miami			313
11. Miami		314		11. St. John's 		334
12. Syracuse	366			12. Pittsburgh		345
13. St. John's	370			13. Seton Hall		376


Notre Dame Individual Results
1. Ryan Shay	24:22*		4. Alison Klemmer		17:39*
3. Luke Watson	24:36*		12. Jennifer Handley	17:59*
9. Ryan Maxwell	24:59*		23. Patty Rice		18:34
11. Marc Striowski 25:02*		26. Erin Luby		18:38
19. John Dudley	25:33			33. Chrissy Kuenster	18:47
20. Sean McManus	25:35			35. Valerie Siqueria	18:49
40. Mike Griewe	26:17			36. Kari Eaton		18:52
45. Antonio Lopez	26:19			40. Nicole LaSelle	19:00
57. Patrick Conway 26:45		51. Melissa Schmidt	19:15
58. Sean Zanderson 26:47		53. Bridget O'Brien	19:18
62. Robert Lythgoe 26:51		62. Erin Olson		19:29
77. John Beck	27:30			65. Leanne Brady		19:34

*= Earned All-BIG EAST honors.
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