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Reporter-News Archives   Saturday, November 20, 1999 Wildcats begin quest for unprecedented ‘triple crown’ JOPLIN, Mo. — Ever since taking over the Abilene Christian University track and field program last summer, head coach Jon Murray’s stated goal for this year’s men’s team is to win the first-ever “triple crown” in track and field history. Murray said at his introductory press conference that the one goal left to attain by the ACU track program was to win national championships in men’s cross country, men’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field, something that has never been done before. Murray, now in his 10th season as the Wildcats’ head cross country coach, will put that goal to an early test today when the ACU men’s team runs at the NCAA Division II cross country championships on the campus of Missouri Southern State College. The Wildcats finished third at the South Central Region meet two weeks ago behind Western State (Colo.) — ranked first in the nation — and four-time defending national champion Adams State (Colo.), ranked second in the nation. The women’s 6-kilometer race will start at 1 p.m., with the men’s 10-kilometer race following at 2 p.m. ACU, which finished fifth at last year’s national meet in Lawrence, Kan., is ranked ninth in the nation and is the nine-time defending Lone Star Conference cross country champion. The Wildcats have already had some success on the course they will run today, having finished second to Division I powerhouse Arkansas at the Jock’s Nitch Stampede on Sept. 18. ACU junior Gilbert Tuhabonye, the defending indoor 800 meters champion, won the event with a time of 24:06.75. ACU freshman Alfred Rugema finished third in the race with a time of 24:16.40 over the 8-kilometer course. Western State will be led by sophomore Michael Aish, who last year finished 10th at the national cross country meet but went on to win national championships in the 5,000 meters indoors and 10,000 meters outdoors. Defending national cross country champion Yi Min Wu, a sophomore from Edinboro (Pa.) returns to the meet to try to make it two in a row. Adams State will be led in its pursuit of a fifth straight title by junior Jason Hubbard, who won the 5,000 meters at last year’s outdoor national championships. On the women’s side, Adams State is the heavy favorite to capture its eighth straight NCAA Division II championship. Its closest competition figures to come from Western State, which has finished second or tied for second in five of the last seven years. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1999, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications

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