Cross Country competes in Southland meet Monday
10/30/2008 1:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Southland Conference Meet Results
With young squads on both the men's and women's sides, the Sam Houston State cross country team will compete in the annual Southland Conference Cross Country Championships Monday in Nacogdoches, Texas at the Piney Woods Country Club.
The women's 6-kilometer race will begin at 9 a.m. and the men's 8-kilometer race will follow at 9:45 a.m.
Lamar has won the men's team championship each of the past two seasons to end a five-year run by Stephen F. Austin. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi finished just seven points behind the Cardinals, while UT Arlington, Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State rounded out the top five in last year's race.
On the women's side, A&M-Corpus Christi prevented a Lamar sweep, winning the championship by just four points ahead of the Cardinals, who were going for a fourth consecutive title. Stephen F. Austin, Texas State and UT Arlington rounded out the top five.
Top competitors in the men's race for Sam Houston are expected to be Taylor Ray and Joey D'Eramo. Ray has posted three top 10 individual finishes in his four meets this fall. Ray won the Houston Cougar meet on August 29 and placed fourth at the Sam Houston Invitational Oct. 18. D'Eramo has finished in the top 20 in three events including a 10th place finish in the SHSU meet two weeks ago.
Molly Farrell is the team leader for the Bearkat women. Her two best finishes include a fourth place at the Houston meet in August and a ninth place standing at the Sam Houston Invitational.
There will be a new Southland individual champion in both races. Islander Shadrack Songok won the Southland men's individual title each of the past two seasons, but transferred to Texas A&M. He won the championship last year with a time of 24:05, the fastest 8K time in conference history. Lamar's Clerc Koenck won the women's 6K race in a time of 20:49 for her second consecutive championship.
Six of the top-10 men's finishers from 2007 return, including Lamar's Francis Kasagule (second), Southeastern Louisiana's Kalphys Kemboi (third) and Lamar's Samuel Kosgei (fourth). The other three include Lamar's Frank Bwambale (seventh) and Idilio Campos and Ozie Hood, both from UT Arlington, who placed eighth and ninth, respectively.
Only three of the top-10 women's finishers from a season ago return. UTSA's Dana Mecke, who has won all six races she has competed in this season, is the top returning finisher from 2007. She finished sixth. Also back are Southeastern Louisiana's Everlyn Matonyei, who was eighth, and A&M-Corpus Christi's Sarah De Los Santo, who placed ninth.
McNeese State and Lamar have each won the men's team championship seven times. Abilene Christian, which no longer competes in the Southland, also has seven team titles, while North Texas, another former member has six titles. Stephen F. Austin has won five times. In the women's race, Stephen F. Austin and UTSA have each won five team championships. UT Arlington has won four, while Lamar has won three.
