Cross country to compete at SLC championships

The Sam Houston State men's and women's teams are set to compete at the 2021 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships Sunday at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond.

SLU will serve as the host institution for the championship with the women's 6k race set for 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8k event at 11 a.m. Both races will be a road course throughout the Southeastern Louisiana campus.

The Bearkats only competed in one nonconference event this season and that was at the Houston Baptist Season Opener last month.

Sophomore Cryslan Tucker paced the women with a second-place finish with a time of 19:06.90, two spots ahead of junior teammate Rebeca Gonzalez who crossed the line at 19:51.80, which helped the Bearkats place first in the team standings with 32 points.

Sophomore Austin Zirkel was the top finisher on the men's side, placing fifth with a time of 16:22.60.

Also, on the women's side, junior Sasha Elizondo placed sixth with a mark of 20:26.30, while sophomores Haley Thomas and Sandy Clarkin finished 13th and 14th, respectively, with times of 21:30.50 and 21:33.50. Sophomores Cassidy Seaney and Lauren Reyna placed 18th and 19th with times of 22:30.40 and 22:35.00, and sophomore Haley Garza finished 21st with a mark of 22:57.30.

Freshman Kyan Wallace was eighth for the men with a time of 16:39.30, and freshman Dalton Page placed 13th with a mark of 17:04.10. Junior Joe Austin III placed 18th with a time of 17:48.20.

Central Arkansas enters the SLC meet as the reigning women's team champion after capturing the title for the first time in program history at the 2019 Southland Championship. The Bears are one of four Southland women's teams currently ranked in the USTFCCCA regional polls, holding down the No. 10 position. Abilene Christian leads all Southland institutions in the South Central regional poll at the No. 9 spot. Behind UCA in the rankings is Stephen F. Austin at No. 12 and UIW at No. 13.

Lamar aims to defend its team title on the men's side after taking home the hardware at the 2019 championship in Conway, Ark., where six Cardinals finished among the top-15 runners. Southeastern Louisiana heads into Sunday's men's championship meet ranked No. 3 in the USTFCCCA South Central regional poll, the highest among the six Southland men's programs ranked in the region. Lamar stands in the fourth position of the regional poll, while McNeese checks in at the No. 12 spot. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi resides at No. 13, just ahead of No. 14 New Orleans and No. 15 Stephen F. Austin.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no NCAA Regional Championship. Competitors at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be selected by the Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Committee. For athletes who qualify, the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be hosted Monday, March 15 at the OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla.

Cross country to compete at SLC championships

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Players Mentioned

Joe Austin III

Sandy Clarkin

Sasha Elizondo

Haley Garza

Rebeca Gonzalez

Dalton Page

Lauren Reyna

Haley Thomas

Cryslan Tucker

Kyan Wallace

Austin Zirkel

Cassidy Zirkel

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