Aug. 29, 2008

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP men have been selected as the Conference USA preseason favorites to win the 2008 cross country titles in November as voted on by the league's head coaches. The three-time C-USA champion Miners were the unanimous choice for the top honor.

The Miners, who took the top five spots at last year's C-USA Championship, return four of the five all-conference selections. Head coach Paul Ereng, a 1998 Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters, must replace three-time All-C-USA honoree Stephen Samoei who became the first male cross country athlete in league history to claim athlete of the year and All-American honors three times.

Headlining this year's squad is senior Patrick Mutai, a two-time C-USA individual champion who paced the Miners in 2005 and 2006. Mutai is also the 2008 C-USA 5,000m indoor champion and three-time 3,000m steeplechase outdoor winner. During his final season as a Miner, Mutai will seek help from fellow senior Japheth Ng'ojoy and the trio of juniors Aggrey Chirchir, Nicodemus Ng'etich and Dominic Tanui to win the program's fourth-straight title.

The 2008 C-USA Championship will take place on Nov. 1 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tennessee.

2008 Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll

Men's
1. UTEP
2. Rice
3. Tulsa
4. Houston
5. Marshall
6. East Carolina
7. Memphis
8. Tulane

Women's
1. Rice
2. Tulsa
3. SMU
4. UAB
5. UTEP
6. Tulane
7. UCF
8. Memphis
9. East Carolina
10. Houston
11. Southern Miss
12. Marshall