Cross Country opens season at SFA

AUSTIN, Texas – Cross country season is open as distance runners across the nation take to the trails for their first competitions this weekend. The Texas Longhorns are ready to unleash a roster balanced with experience and strong youth after impressive signing classes for both the men and the women.

Those freshmen will be on display Friday evening when the Longhorns open their season at the SFA Lumberjack SLC Preview. The race is set for a 7 p.m. start from Pecan Acres Park in Nacogdoches with the women running a two-mile race. The men's 5k race is set to follow at 7:30 p.m.

"I'm thrilled for the season. This first race is always an icebreaker for us," said Cross Country Coach Brad Herbster. "Making a statement with these guys will be a fun challenge. I'm really excited about it. When you look at the roster and the group it's going to be a good time."

Texas will be putting its newcomers to the test right out of the gate this year to help Herbster assess the depth on the team for later in the season. Four true freshman and one redshirt freshman will run for the women with only seven total set to toe the line Friday night.

The men also will be testing its younger runners on the men's side.

"The competition will be solid. It's an early season test and will give everybody a good opportunity to get out fast and learn to manage a college race," Herbster said. "We're racing a lot of people we wouldn't normally race at this point of the season. We're kind of wiping the rust off and seeing what they can do, so we'll see if we can work together and accomplish our goal at this meet."

Texas will be up against some strong regional competition as well. The SFA Lumberjacks are ranked No. 4 in the South Central by the USTFCCCA in the men's preseason rankings. Texas ranks No. 2 in the region for both the men and women. Herbster said facing a team like SFA early will help the Longhorns gauge where they are and need to be as the postseason approaches.

"SFA will be a solid team. We're not racing against a lot of people, but we're going up against a lot of guys who can be players later on down the road so we're counting on our guys to step up," he said. "They're going to get their feet wet, learn to manage that pain and get ready to contribute at a high level throughout the season because we need these guys and girls in a big way."

Admission to the meet is free for fans wanting to attend. Parking is available off East Starr. The race course is set up as a 2k loop.

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics