Cross Country Notes /
Championship Meet Page
ABILENE – After winning the Lone Star Conference two weeks ago, the ACU men's cross country team now looks to defend its NCAA Division II South Central Region title Saturday at Nelson Park.
The women's 6-kilometer championship race will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by the men's 10-kilometer race at 10:15 a.m.
The top three men's teams and top two women's teams will automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II national meet, which will be Nov. 21 in Evansville, Ind. Also, the top two men and top two women not on automatically qualifying teams will qualify to run at the national meet.
The ACU men's team figures to be led by Amos Sang, who two weeks ago captured the LSC individual championship in Canyon to lead the Wildcats to their 19th straight conference championship. Finishing a close second was Sang's teammate, Cleophas Tanui, with LSC Freshman of the Year Colby Delbene finishing fifth, giving the Wildcats a solid trio at the top of their lineup.
The Wildcats, however, probably don't enter the meet as the favorite to win the championship. That distinction could go to Missouri Southern, which is ranked No. 1 in the region, just ahead of the second-ranked Wildcats.
ACU has won nine of the last 10 regional championships with only Missouri Southern in 2007 breaking the Wildcats' streak of dominance. Those two should battle again for the 2009 title.
“Missouri Southern is a very good squad and both teams look very even on paper,” said ACU head coach Sam Burroughs, who was voted the LSC Men's Coach of the Year two weeksa ago. “Hopefully having the home course will be the deciding factor and play to our advantage. Our ultimate goal is getting back to the national meet, and winning the region we are hosting would be the icing on the cake.”
The women's figures to come down to a battle between Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) powers Missouri Southern and Truman State. Missouri Southern is ranked No. 1 in the region, followed by Truman State, Dallas Baptist, Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri State.
Two-time Lone Star Conference champion Midwestern State, which last year finished as the regional runner-up to Missouri Southern, is ranked No. 6 in the region entering Saturday's meet.
The Wildcats' best hope for a berth in the national meet is freshman
Chloe Susset, who finished sixth at the conference meet two weeks ago in Canyon.
