SFA Heads to Regional Championships
11/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 10, 2006
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin cross country team will head to Waco, Texas, Saturday for the NCAA South Central Regional Championships. Depending on the race's outcome, it could be the last meet of the year for some or all of the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks.
The meet pits Division I schools from Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas against one another with bids to the NCAA Championships up for grabs. The Top 2 teams earn automatic bids, as do the Top 4 individual runners from each race who are not part of a qualifying team. Heading into the race, the Lumberjacks are ranked fourth in the region behind Arkansas, of the SEC, the Big 12's Texas and Southland Conference foe, Lamar. The SFA women are currently ranked eighth.
"Both teams are very fit right now, and, historically, we run very well at this meet because of the way our training is set up," SFA cross country coach Lou Snelling said. "We'll see if that holds true again this year."
The Lumberjacks are looking for a strong finish to their season and, possibly, for many key team members, their careers.
"We have five fifth-year seniors," Snelling said. "This is their last regional meet and their last opportunity to go out and race against the best in the region."
The veteran Lumberjacks include Marc Farris, Julian Acuna, Chance Edwards, Cody Clark and Rodney Joseph. Sophomores Teddy Fanta and Keith Mahipala round out SFA's Top 7. SFA is coming off a second-place finish at the SLC Championships two weeks ago. The Lumberjacks packed all five scoring runners into the eighth through 12th positions, including All-SLC showings by Edwards, Farris and Acuna, but couldn't keep pace with Lamar, who put four runners in the Top 6. SFA finished fifth in last year's regional race. The best regional finish ever by a Lumberjack team was the 2003 squad's third-place showing.
"We're definitely shooting to tie that 2003 performance," Snelling said, "or, if we can make something special happen, surpass it."
Even if the Lumberjacks fail to earn a second-place finish and team bid to nationals, the odds are good that at least one SFA runner will still get to make the trip to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Championships. Three different Lumberjacks have qualified individually over the last three years.
"The opportunity will definitely be there to do that again," Snelling said.
The Ladyjacks are coming off their best showing ever in last year's regional meet. SFA took fifth place last season, when SFA put six runners inside the Top 50.
"The region has brought in a lot more talent this year on the women's side, but we still have the opportunity to go out and have one of our best performances," Snelling said.
The Ladyjacks finished second to Lamar at the SLC Championships, the third straight runner-up performance for the program. Senior Ashley Monteau finished fifth to lead the way, and senior LaKoa McKeever just missed All-SLC honors with her 11th-place showing. Freshman Mandy Willis was 15th.
Monteau will be looking for her third straight trip to the NCAA Championships. She finished fourth individually at last year's regional meet to qualify for the second time.
"Ashley has the chance to qualify for nationals for the third straight time, which would be a very impressive achievement," Snelling said. "It will be a tough race. There are about 12 individuals racing to get four bids."
The meet will be held at Cottonwood Creek Country Club in Waco. The women's race is set to start at 10 a.m., with the men running at 11.
