US News
 
2002 Cross Country
 
 
September 27-28, 2002 at Ballantyne Resort, Charlotte NC
 
 

the DQ - HS Boys Race of Champions

by John Dye

Original top 10 runners across the finish line::

1. Bobby Curtis, St. Xavier Louisville KY 15:25.5
2. Matt Munoz, Kingwood TX 15:27
3. Brian Sullivan, The Woodlands TX 15:30
4. Juan Robles, Valencia CA 15:38
5. Jonathan Norris, The Woodlands TX 15:39.4
6. Mike Steele, Mountain View UT 16:50.7
7. Alan Burkitt, Hilliard Davidson OH 16:53.0
8. Steve Strickland, Mountain View UT 16:54.4
9. Ian Gottesfeld, Henderson PA 16:55.7
10. Nate Preston, Benson NE 17:00.4

Scoreboard showing first four finishers (left) and the fifth (below).

The first sign of trouble at the finish line came when five runners crossed and no one else was in sight. More than a minute went by before the 6th runner appeared. Then confusion reigned. As reporters were interviewing the apparent winners -- Bobby Curtis individually and The Woodlands TX as a team -- coaches of Mountain View UT and Hilliard Davidson OH were shouting that the early finishers cut the course and there should be a DQ.

We relayed this to Curtis, and he readily admitted that he cut the course. Curtis (right) said he came to a point where he was unsure whether to go straight ahead or turn right. "There was a flag and a balloon. There was a woman there, and I held up my hands asking which way to go. She didn't say anything, so I turned right." The next four runners followed him. [The woman was not a meet official.]

We asked Mountain View coach Dave Houle about this, and he said he noticed in the college races Friday night that runners were confused at that point. So he took his whole team to that spot and told them to be sure to go straight ahead and make the final loop before turning for home. That paid off because the 6th runner was from Mountain View, and he led the rest of the runners on the right course.

4k - With 1000 meters to go, when the runners came parallel to the finish chute heading out for the final loop out and back, Curtis was leading (left) with 2 seconds on The Woodlands pair and Munoz running a tight 2-3-4. Robles was 3 more seconds back in 5th. Then there was a 3 second gap to Mountain View's Strickland and another 2 seconds to Steele, who had a 2 second lead on Burkitt. The Woodlands was dominating the team race with 5 runners in the top 17. It was later that the wrong turn occurred.

Robles and Strickland at 4k.

photos by DyeStat


Steele, Burkitt and the rest at 4k.

Meet founder Rick Hill said that meet director Fred Finke took the coaches involved to the area of the wrong turn and all agreed that the first five runners cut the course. Under the rules, Hill said, Finke decided to disqualify the five runners. This threw the championship to Mountain View, with Davidson moving up to second. Even without their first two runners, The Woodlands was third, 77 points ahead of 4th place Kingwood TX.

Here is how the scoring would have been with the first 5 runners included:

1. The Woodlands 58 (3-5-13-18-19)
2. Mountain View 151 (6-9-33-49-54)
3. Hilliard Davidson 159 (7-17-21-23-91)

Here is the result after the disqualification:

1. Mountain View 125 (1-3-28-44-49)
2. Hilliard Davidson 134 (2-12-16-18-86)
3. The Woodlands 158 (8-13-14-56-67)

 

Great American 2002 home page

 


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