SFA Cross Country Teams are Headed North this Weekend
9/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – SFA Cross Country will traveling to their third meet of the year in Stillwater, Okla. The Oklahoma State Cross Country Course is the oldest cross country race in the country. The SFA men and women get a chance to race in the Cowboy Jamboree, which dates back to 1937.
The race will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24th. The women’s 5K will start at 9:15 a.m. followed by the men’s 8K at 9:45 a.m.
Competing Teams are:
University Section:
Abilene Christian
Baker
Cameron
Friends
Kansas State
Lubbock Christian
Northwestern Oklahoma
Oklahoma Baptist
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma State
Oral Roberts
Our Lady of the Lake
Science & Arts
Southwest – New Mexico
Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
Tulsa
UT-Permian Basin
West Texas A&M
The course itself will have many new challenges for the Lumberjacks. Seven rolling hills are scattered throughout the course, with a 300 meter gradual incline right at the start. The unique added elements to the course are three sets of three steps, which gives the feeling of a typical European cross country course.
SFA Head Coach Cody Clark will have eight men competing in the race. The most anticipating moment will be return of senior Charles Mathenge to the track. Mathenge is a 2015 NCAA Championship Qualifier, part of the 2015 All-NCAA South Central Region, and was selected for the 2015 First Team All- Southland Conference. Mathenge is also the current record holder of the 8K and 10K at SFA. Redshirt freshman Brandt Preston will join Charles on the line. Preston was the first finisher for the Lumberjacks in the last two races. Other competitors are redshirt junior Quinlin McGregor, Senior Josh Torres, Junior Toppoer Markham, junior Matt Farina, senior Larry Deramus, and freshman Evan Barron.
On the women’s side, Clark welcomes back senior Taylor Anderson to the course for her first race of the season. The Ladyjacks had a stellar 19 second spread in their last race at the Rice Invite. Those top five finishers include freshman Claire Crone, redshirt junior Rana Ryan, junior Brittany Innis, junior Samantha Ottoman, and senior Mary Luster. Other runners are freshman Caelidh Ross and freshman Taryn Suratt.
The last time the Lumberjacks compete in the OSU Cowboy Jamboree was in 2013 with the men and women finishing sixth and seventh respectively.
After the weekend, SFA will heading to College Station for the Aggieland Open on Oct. 7th.
-SFA-
