With less than 1,000 meters left in the race for the national women's cross country title, Julie Stamps was getting a little tired. That's when teammate Sally Jennings caught up to her. "Let's go Jule!" Jennings urged. And they went. Jennings finished fifth in the 5,000-meter race (in 17:09.47) and Stamps placed sixth (in 17:11.08). Together, they led the No. 6-ranked Stanford women to a third-place finish in the NCAA championships in Lawrence, Kan. The title went to Villanova. It was the third straight top-three finish for the Cardinal women, who, like the men's team, are now established as a national force.
In the men's championship race, also held November 23, Stanford finished just as the pollsters had predicted: in second place, behind No. 1-ranked Arkansas.
Senior Brad Hauser had the best finish for Stanford, covering the 10,000-meter course in 30:18.20, which was good enough for sixth place in the 255-man field. "When you roll the dice against Arkansas, you can't come up with snake eyes," says Vin Lananna, director of Cardinal cross country. "That's what I think we did."
Both teams expect to be contenders in 1999. The men, who won the NCAA title in 1996 and 1997, are cultivating a nucleus of young talent in sophomores Jonathon Riley and Thomas Murley. Prospects look especially good for the women: nine of the squad's top 10 runners will return.
