The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Big 12 Cross Country Championship
Cross Country preview: Big 12 Championships
11.01.2019 | Track & Field / Cross Country
The Longhorns race for the conference title on Saturday in Waco.
Texas (30) Men and (RV) Women in Big 12 Cross Country Championship
Date/Place: Saturday, November 2, 2019 in Waco, Texas.
Course: Cottonwood Creek Golf Course. Parking: 5200 Bagby Ave., Waco, Texas 76711
Length: Men's race: 8k (5k loop, 2k u-turn, 1k finish). Women's race: 6k (5k loop, 1k finish).
Time: Men's race: 10 a.m. (UT starts from Box 9.) Women's race: 11 a.m. (UT starts from Box 1.) All times CT.
Men's Nationally Ranked Teams: No. 5 Iowa State, No. 27 Oklahoma State, No. 30 Texas.
Women's Nationally Ranked Teams: No. 29 Oklahoma State, RV Texas, RV West Virginia.
Men's Regionally Ranked Teams: Midwest Region: No. 1 Iowa State, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 6 Kansas, No. 14 Kansas State. South Central Region: No 1. Texas.
Women's Regionally Ranked Teams: Mid-Atlantic Region: No. 6 West Virginia. Midwest Region: No. 2 Oklahoma State, No.7 Iowa State, No. 15 Kansas. Mountain Region: No. 11 Texas Tech. South Central Region: No. 2 Texas, No. 7 Baylor.
Live Streaming: Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Results: www.Big12Sports.com and www.TexasSports.com.
Race Website: Big 12 Cross Country Championship Central
AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Texas Men's and Women's Cross Country teams will challenge for the Big 12 Conference title on Saturday at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, Texas. The men's 8K race will begin at 10 a.m. CT, followed one hour later by the women's 6K. Texas' men have not won a Big 12 title since 1993, while the women will be looking to capture their first conference trophy since 1989.
The Longhorn men are currently ranked No. 30 in the USTFCCCA national poll. Texas is also the No. 1-ranked team in the South Central Region. UT returned to the company of ranked teams in the Oct. 8 poll, after finishing first in the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival on Oct. 5. The Longhorns had received votes in each earlier poll this season.
Texas finished first as a team in three other cross country meets this year - the season-opening Bear Twilight Invitational on Aug. 30, the Texas Invitational on Sept. 13 and the Concordia Classic on Sept. 27.
Two Longhorns achieved individual medalist honors this season, with junior Sam Worley winning the Bear Twilight and freshman Haftu Knight topping the field at the Texas Invitational. Each was named Big 12 Runner of the Week for their efforts. Worley repeated as Runner of the Week after his team-leading performance in the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 27 in Springfield, Oregon.
"We are really happy with where we are, fitness- and health-wise, heading into the championship portion of the season," said Texas men's distance coach Pete Watson. "Adding Garek Bielaczyk back into the lineup for the first time this season gives us a little more experience and will help the young guys in their first Big 12 Championship. Sam Worley and John Rice have been progressing very nicely and are ready to lead this team in a very competitive field."
On the women's side, the Longhorns are receiving votes in the latest USTFCCCA national poll, as they have all season. Texas is ranked No. 2 in the South Central Region.
Texas finished first as a team in its first three meets this season, the Bear Twilight, the Texas Invitational and the Concordia Classic. The Longhorns then placed second in the Chile Pepper Festival, behind only top-ranked Arkansas.
Senior Destiny Collins won individual medalist honors in the Baylor and Texas meets.
Collins and teammate Kathryn Gillespie each won Big 12 Runner of the Week honors this season. Collins was honored for her winning performance in the Bear Twilight, while Gillespie won the award for being the leading Longhorn in the Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 27.
Altogether, Texas received five Big 12 Runner of the Week honors this season.
"Our women have worked very hard to get to this point and I'm excited to watch them race this weekend," said Texas women's distance coach PattiSue Plumer. "Our goal remains the same: To finish among the top three in the conference. We have a very competitive conference, but I'm confident that if they race the way they train we will be in a good position. The training has been amazing and now is the time to enjoy that hard work."
TEAM ENTRIES – BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
Men:
• Garek Bielaczyc, Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah
• Crayton Carrozza, Fr., Austin, Texas
• Dan Golden, Sr., The Woodlands, Texas
• Cruz Gomez, Fr., Alamo, Texas
• Brendan Hebert, So., Spicewood, Texas
• Jake Johnson, Jr., Allen, Texas
• Haftu Knight, Fr., Tyler, Texas
• John Rice, Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Daniel Viegra, Jr., Pflugerville, Texas
• Sam Worley, Jr., New Braunfels, Texas
Women:
• Claudine Blancaflor, Jr., Allen, Texas
• Destiny Collins, Sr., Temecula, Calif.
• Marissa Flournoy, Jr., Austin, Texas
• Kathryn Gillespie, Grad., Dollar, Scotland
• Abby Guidry, Sr., Kingwood, Texas
• Isabel Hebner, So., Allendale, N.J.
• Halena Rahmaan, Fr., Montgomery, Texas
• Beth Ramos, So., Edinburg, Texas
• Valery Tobias, So., Edinburgh, Texas
• Madeline Vondra, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas
Players Mentioned
