Nov. 22, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Seniors Luke Watson and Ryan Shay each earned All-America honors from the United States Track and Field Coaches Association based on their finishes Monday in the NCAA cross country championship meet in Greenville, S.C.

Watson finished fifth individually at 29:19 and Shay sixth at 29:23 to key Notre Dame’s sixth-place finish for the men’s squad – its highest finish since 1993 when the Irish were fifth.

It marked the second straight All-America honor in cross country for Watson, who finished seventh individually in 200. It also was Shay’s second All-America recognition, after he finished 12th n 1999. Watson’s NCAA finish marked the highest by an Irish runner since Bill Clark took second in 1964.

All-America honors go to the top 30 individual finishers.

Watson is from Stillwater, Minn., while Shay is from Central Lake, Mich.