Cougars are Perfect in Hawaii

HONOLULU -- Chelsea Smith McKell won her second race of the season on Saturday as she helped BYU cruise in Hawaii and post a perfect score at the Big Wave Invitational.

"We had a great race," head coach Patrick Shane said. "I am pleased with how they ran. I did not expect to run a perfect score. I am really pleased with the effort by these young women."

BYU won the seven-team event with the perfect score, 15 points.

Smith McKell, a senior form Spokane, Wash. won the Autumn Classic last Saturday. She backed it up by winning Saturday's race in a familiar place. She transferred to BYU from BYU-Hawaii where she won back-to-back NCAA Division II cross country titles.

Shane said she did great, and had a successful homecoming.

"She won it in a really fast time, and looked good doing it," he said.

Posting a perfect score requires solid running from more than just your top runner and Smith McKell had that support as she was followed by Sarah Ingebretsen from Salt Lake City, Ann Marie Thomas from Orem, Jenna Taylor from Provo, and Allison Passey from Kaysville, coming in second through fifth, respectively.

"I think we all ran really well," Ingebretsen said. "It was a pretty course. It was fun. We all stuck together really well and helped each other. I think everyone did really good."

Ingebretsen said it is races like this that prepare the team for bigger races latter on in the season.

"I think this race was a good confidence booster," she said. "It helps us go back and get ready for the big ones."

One of the big ones is up next for the women. They will hit the road again and run in the Great American Cross Country Festival in Gary, N.C. next Saturday.

BIG WAVE INVITATIONAL RESULTS (4K)
Chelsea Smith-McKell   1			14:25.4
Sarah Ingebretsen      2			14:49.4
Ann Marie Thomas       3			14:52.8
Jenna Taylor           4   14:53.2
Allison Passey         5	 	14:53.5
Brooke Kerby           9			15:11.3
Lisa Frischnecht      11			15:17.0
Carolyn Quebe         13			15:35.4