STARKVILLE, Miss. - LSU senior Cullen Doody kicked off the 2011 cross country season in style by winning the individual title at the Bulldog Invitational on the campus of Mississippi State on Saturday.
Doody finished in 25 minutes 23.42 seconds leading the Tigers to a second place finish in the team meet as Mississippi State won their home meet.
Senior Richard Chautin finished ninth in the meet clocking in at 25:52.45 and Junior Roger Cooke rounded out the top 10 with a finish of 25:56.53.
"This is a really good start to the season for our team as a lot of our kids had very nice times considering this course," said LSU head coach Mark Elliott. "It's a great result for Cullen Doody but I also felt Chautin and Cooke ran extremely well."
On the women's side LSU also placed second to the Lady Bulldogs. Junior Leigh-Ann Naccari led the way for the Lady Tigers with a seventh place finish of 18:56.28.
Juniors Dakota and Brea Goodman were LSU's next best finishers on the women's side scoring times of 19:28.50 and 19:39.64 respectively.
"Seventh place is a great result for Leigh-Ann," Elliott said. "I think our entire top five ran very well. This meet was very good for us because now we see what needs improvement going into the rest of the season."
The Tigers return to Baton Rouge for their only home meet of the season, the LSU Invitational, Saturday, Sept. 24. The meet will take place at Highland Road Park. The women cover 6,000 meters beginning at 8:05 a.m. CDT followed by the men who will run 8,000 meters at 9:15 a.m.
Results
Men's Team Points
1. Mississippi State20
2. LSU 46
3. West Alabama 82
Women's Team Points
1. Mississippi State 15
2. LSU 55
3. Blue Mountain 94
Men's Individual (LSU Only)
Medalist: Cullen Doody, (LSU) 25:23.42
LSU: 9. Richard Chautin, 25:52.45; 10. Roger Cooke, 25:56.53; 20. Alden Heaphy, 26:52.19; 24. William Wiesler 27:32.65. 25; Phillip Dempsey 27:34.05; 27. Bryan Mutell 27:38.95; 32. Bradley Robeson 28:10.62
Women's Individual (Winner and LSU only)
Medalist: Haley Greenwell (Mississippi St.) 17:48.77
LSU: 7. Leigh-Ann Naccari 18:56.28; 15. Dakota Goodman 19:28.50; 16. Brea Goodman 19:39.64; 18. Laura Aleman 19:47.72; 18. Andria Aguilar 19:47.72; 29. Christine Derbins 21:09.57; 34. Michelle Mobley 21:09.57; 36. Ericka Wilk 21:09.57, 39; Lindsay Roe 22:50.69