Both the Sam Houston men and women will compete in the Southland Conference cross country championships Monday in Natchitoches, La., at the Walter P. Ledet Track Complex.
The men's 8-kilometer championship race will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the women's 6-kilometer championship race at 9:30 a.m. There will be an awards ceremony immediately following the women's race.
Karl Schreiber has been the top finisher in two meets for the Kat men this year with a fourth place at Corpus Christi and a 48th finish in a talent-laden field at the Alabama Crimson Classic. Grant Buley, Ryan Saam and Evan Arambula have also produced top performances for the men this fall.
Olivia Olguin led the SHSU women with a third place finish at Corpus Christi and 19th place at Texas A&M. Ana Moreno, Nicole Aponte and Miranda Prado also are expected to lead the Bearkats.
The Lamar men's and women's teams are defending conference champions. Last season the Cardinal men won their seventh team championship in the last eight years. The Cardinal women have earned won four team championships.
The Lamar men's team is ranked No. 3 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Men's South Central Region poll, directly behind Texas and Arkansas. Stephen F. Austin is ranked eighth in the poll followed by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ninth and McNeese State 10th. Central Arkansas and Sam Houston State round out the men's regional poll at No. 14 and No. 15. In the women's South Central Region poll, Lamar is ranked third behind Baylor and Arkansas, while Stephen F. Austin is 12th and Central Arkansas is 13th.
Lamar leads the men's teams with 12 cross country championships followed by McNeese State with eight, who won its last title in 2012. Original conference member Abilene Christian won the league's first seven championships from 1964-70, which is the record for most consecutive team titles.
Stephen F. Austin leads the women's teams with seven championships, its last title coming in 2012. Lamar and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are second, each owning four team titles.
The 2014 NCAA Cross Country South Central Regional will be held Friday, Nov. 14, at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Ark. For those teams and individuals who qualify, the 2014 NCAA championships will be held Nov. 22, in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission and the City of Natchitoches are presenting sponsors of the 2014 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships. Visit Natchitoches.com for lodging and tourism information on historic Natchitoches.
