The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Cross Country heads to NCAA South Central Regional Championships
11.07.2018 | Track & Field / Cross Country
The Longhorns will look to qualify for NCAA Championships with a Top-2 finish.
MEET PROGRAM | MAPS | MEET INFORMATION | LIVE RESULTS
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas cross country programs will continue the postseason on Friday at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in College Station, Texas. The meet will take place on the Watts Cross Country Course, with the women's 6k beginning at 9:15 a.m. CT and the men's 10k following at 10:15 a.m. CT.
After a long season leading up to this point, it comes down to Friday's meet with a berth in the NCAA Championships on the line. The top two teams and the first four individuals not associated with those two teams will advance to NCAA Championships in Madison, Wisc. on Nov. 17. With both the men's and women's team ranked second in the South Central Region behind Arkansas, punching a ticket to nationals will be tough for both sides on Friday morning. Conditions are expected to be challenging, with a wet course awaiting the competition.
Women's 6k Preview - 9:15 a.m. CT
Teams (29): TEXAS, Abilene Christian, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Baylor, Central Arkansas, Houston, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Lamar, LSU, McNeese State, New Orleans, Nicholls State, North Texas, Northwestern State, Rice, Sam Houston State, SMU, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, TCU, Texas State, Tulane, UT Arlington, UT-Rio Grande Valley, USTA
Although a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships wasn't what they had hoped for, the Longhorn women have worked hard all season long in preparation for the next two meets. Leading the way has been junior Destiny Collins, who earned All-Big 12 honors after her fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Collins ran a season-best time of 20:06.7. Senior Alex Cruz followed Collins with another season-best time of 21:02.1 and a 17th place finish, just faster than Sophomore Madeline Vondra's 21st-place time of 21:06.9.
"We're really excited to run in the Regional Championships on Friday morning," women's cross country coach PattiSue Plumer said. "We've been building up to this all season. Although this may be one of the muddiest and wettest courses that the team has seen, and perhaps even that I've seen, it's what makes cross country all the more exciting and I think we have a team that's well suited for that.
"Our goal for this weekend is to qualify for Nationals. How we do it, I don't really care. We have various game plans and we need to execute one of them well. It's going to be a challenge, it won't be easy, but this is what we've prepared for and we are excited about it."
The Longhorn women are receiving votes in the USTFCCCA National polls but rank second in the South Central Region behind No. 5 Arkansas. SMU, Rice and Texas A&M round out the Top 5 in the region. Last season, Collins finished 10th in the district, while Abby Guidry was 16th and Cruz was 17th.
UT is looking to qualify for Nationals for the second consecutive season and the fifth time in the last eight seasons.
Men's 10k Preview - 10:15 a.m. CT
Teams (28): TEXAS, Abilene Christian, Arkansas, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Baylor, Central Arkansas, Houston, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, LSU, McNeese State, New Orleans, Nicholls State, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston State, SE Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, TCU, Texas State, Tulane, UT Arlington, UT-Rio Grande Valley, USTA
The men's team will look to challenge for the Regional Championship on Friday morning, although No. 19 Arkansas will certainly have something to say about that. UT is receiving votes in the USTFCCCA National polls and ranks second in the region.
The men earned a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championship along with three All-Big 12 honors coming from senior Alex Rogers, sophomore Sam Worley and junior John Rice. Rogers and Worley ran season-best times of 23.54.4 and 24.06.4, while finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Rice followed with a time 24:30.1 and a 14th-place finish. Senior Charles Mills ran his best race of the season with a 24:41.7, and sophomore Garek Bielaczyc crossed the finish line for a 24th-place finish with a 24:53.4.
"This is what it all comes down to this year, the Regional meet is the most important meet we've had," men's cross country coach Pete Watson said. "The boys are fit, we're healthy and I'm really pleased with where we are emotionally and physically. The team's really close and I'm happy with how they've come together.
"This is what we've been training for - eight days in November. The conditions are going to be tough, but they'll be tough for everybody. I think you just have to put that out of mind. You line up and you're in a foot race, and you just need to get it done. It's man versus man and the guys from Texas need to show up and get it done Friday."
Last season at the regional meet, Rogers paced the men with a third-place finish to help the Longhorns qualify for NCAA Championships for the ninth straight season. The Longhorns last won the region in 2012. Worley didn't run in regionals a season ago, while Rice finished 12th, Bielaczyc 22nd and Mills 23rd.
Players Mentioned
