Bulldogs Finish Fifth; Dinnel and Schuler Earn All-WAC

Nov. 1, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Louisiana Tech seniors Kinsey Dinnel and Zach Schuler earned first and second team All-WAC honors, respectively, Saturday morning while leading the Bulldogs to a fifth-overall place finish at the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Championships at the New Mexico State Golf Course.

Five years ago, Dinnel would finish thirty-fifth overall in the WAC Championships, while Schuler finished tenth from last. Since the two have been in Tech head coach Gary Stanley's program, they have improved to a sixth place overall finish (Dinnel) and tenth place overall (Schuler).

"It's the story of the meet for us," Stanley said. "These guys have busted their tails for five years to become All-WAC, and I couldn't be more proud of them. These were tough conditions, and our kids ran as hard as they could."

Dinnel can add the All-WAC to his growing list of accolades after finished WAC Athlete of the Week two times in 2008. Last season, it was Schuler who was bringing home the awards. Both runners, along with senior Nate Davis, elected to red-shirt the 2007 season in an effort to return to a stronger, more experienced 2008 team.

Dinnel finished the race sixth overall with a time of 26 minutes, 6 seconds, while Schuler ran 26:25 at the five-mile course for tenth place.

Davis ran 27:35 for Tech for thirtieth, while sophomoren Jack Ramstead took thirty-sixth with a time of 27:57. Freshman Josh Slocum took forty-fifth place at 28:35, while sophomore David Monroe finished forty-sixth at 28:36.80.

Sophomore Chico Cortez (28:57) and Kyle Davis (29:36) rounded out Tech finishers at fiftieth and fifty-third place, respectively.

The Techsters took ninth place overall in the women's three-mile race.

The NCAA Regionals will be held Saturday Nov. 15, in Fayetteville, Ark.