Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams Regionally Ranked to Begin Season on Friday
8/30/2017 5:20:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Both teams were ranked within the top 15 schools in South Central Region
Full Women's Regional Rankings
Full Men's Regional Rankings
NACOGDOCHES, Texas-- Both the men's and women's cross country teams at Stephen F. Austin have been selected to begin the season ranked within the top 15 of the South Central region, just days before they kick off the 2017 season at the Aggie Opener in College Station, Texas. The USTFCCCA preseason rankings selected the women's squad as ninth in their region, while the men's team will begin the season ranked 12th in the region.
"The rankings are something that you kind of have to take with a grain of salt, especially with them being preseason rankings", said SFA cross country coach Cody Clark. "I feel like we're a better team than those rankings reflect, but you have to look at last year's finish, who a team is bringing back and I think it's a pretty fair ranking overall based on our finish last season. As we race more and get into the middle of the season, we'll have a better idea where we're at."
To open the season, SFA will compete at the Aggie Opener, hosted in College Station by Texas A&M on September 1. A limited squad will run modified (shorter) distances at the event, with some of the team staying back to train. Following that, the team will host the Lumberjack High School Invite on Saturday, September 2. While not an event the team will run in, the invite serves a great community event in which many local high schools will compete, resulting in 1100-1200 runners at the event.
"The Aggie opener every year is basically to see some of our new people race, or people who haven't had a lot of chances to race in previous years", said Clark. "We'll be taking a limited squad down there on Friday, and we're holding out our top four or five people who are going to stay home and get a workout in before we go to our first full-length race. Saturday's high school meet is going to be a great event, which typically includes 30 teams and up to 1200 runners from high school to junior high. This year, we've had some teams from the Houston that have had to pull out because of the effects of Hurricane Harvey, so it's going to be a smaller meet, but it gives us a chance to look at East Texas talent and watch the local schools compete against each other."
Both teams will be looking to rally from significant losses from last season's squads, and will expect more from returning runners in 2017. For the men's side, Evan Barron returns after finishing 24th at the conference meet last season, while Larry Deramus and Quinlan McGregor are veteran returners as well for the Lumberjacks. For the Ladyjacks, defending their team title from 2016 will likely come from the efforts of top returner and 2016 SLC Freshman of the Year Taryn Surratt, who finished 12th at the conference championship last year. Claire Crone (14th) and Brittany Innis (17th) also registered top-20 finishes at the conference championships in 2016 and return for the Ladyjacks this fall.
SFA is one of four Southland programs to be ranked on the women's side, and one of three on the men's side.
-SFA-
Full Men's Regional Rankings
NACOGDOCHES, Texas-- Both the men's and women's cross country teams at Stephen F. Austin have been selected to begin the season ranked within the top 15 of the South Central region, just days before they kick off the 2017 season at the Aggie Opener in College Station, Texas. The USTFCCCA preseason rankings selected the women's squad as ninth in their region, while the men's team will begin the season ranked 12th in the region.
"The rankings are something that you kind of have to take with a grain of salt, especially with them being preseason rankings", said SFA cross country coach Cody Clark. "I feel like we're a better team than those rankings reflect, but you have to look at last year's finish, who a team is bringing back and I think it's a pretty fair ranking overall based on our finish last season. As we race more and get into the middle of the season, we'll have a better idea where we're at."
To open the season, SFA will compete at the Aggie Opener, hosted in College Station by Texas A&M on September 1. A limited squad will run modified (shorter) distances at the event, with some of the team staying back to train. Following that, the team will host the Lumberjack High School Invite on Saturday, September 2. While not an event the team will run in, the invite serves a great community event in which many local high schools will compete, resulting in 1100-1200 runners at the event.
"The Aggie opener every year is basically to see some of our new people race, or people who haven't had a lot of chances to race in previous years", said Clark. "We'll be taking a limited squad down there on Friday, and we're holding out our top four or five people who are going to stay home and get a workout in before we go to our first full-length race. Saturday's high school meet is going to be a great event, which typically includes 30 teams and up to 1200 runners from high school to junior high. This year, we've had some teams from the Houston that have had to pull out because of the effects of Hurricane Harvey, so it's going to be a smaller meet, but it gives us a chance to look at East Texas talent and watch the local schools compete against each other."
Both teams will be looking to rally from significant losses from last season's squads, and will expect more from returning runners in 2017. For the men's side, Evan Barron returns after finishing 24th at the conference meet last season, while Larry Deramus and Quinlan McGregor are veteran returners as well for the Lumberjacks. For the Ladyjacks, defending their team title from 2016 will likely come from the efforts of top returner and 2016 SLC Freshman of the Year Taryn Surratt, who finished 12th at the conference championship last year. Claire Crone (14th) and Brittany Innis (17th) also registered top-20 finishes at the conference championships in 2016 and return for the Ladyjacks this fall.
SFA is one of four Southland programs to be ranked on the women's side, and one of three on the men's side.
-SFA-
Players Mentioned
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