Cross Country Season to Get Underway at Aggie Opener Friday

Friday, August 31

College Station, Texas

ALL DAY

Stephen F. Austin

Aggie Opener

Cross Country Season to Get Underway at Aggie Opener Friday

8/30/2018 3:28:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin cross country teams take the first steps of the 2018 season on Friday, as they take part in the five-team Aggie Opener meet in College Station. Five Ladyjacks will compete in the women's 4,100m distance, starting at 6:45 p.m., along with five Lumberjacks in the men's 6,000m race, starting at 7:15 p.m.

The SFA men's lineup will feature a trio of returners from last fall in Erick Rotich, Pedro Flores and Chris Shirk, along with a pair of redshirt freshmen in Grant Tiff and Caleb Stewart set to make their SFA debut in the race. Rotich paced the men's team last fall with a 20th place finish at the Southland Conference Championships and several other team-leading finishes. On the women's side, returners Elizabeth Guerra and LaSean Davis are joined by Carolyn Evans, Samantha Roberts and Crystal Ariceaga, all of whom will be making their debut for SFA.

This weekend's Aggie Opener is the first of six meets on the schedule for the cross country program this fall. The team will next run at the Rice Invitational on September 7, followed by the Chili Pepper Festival on the 22nd. A trip back to College Station as part of the Arturo Barrios Invitational on October 13th will precede the Southland Conference Championship on October 26, with the NCAA South Central Region following two weeks later. Any athletes qualifying for the National Championship will travel to Madison, Wisconsin on November 17.

After capturing the men's conference title in the 2015 season and the women's title one year later in 2016, the 'Jacks finished fifth on both sides in the 2017 and will look to return to prominence with a deeper and healthy lineup in 2018. On the men's side, Rotich will provide a known quantity alongside redshirt freshmen Titus Kiplagat, Caleb Stewart and Grant Tiff. True freshman Awet Beraki looks to make an impact in his first season at SFA, with Oklahoma State transfer Nic Butts in a similar position. Matt Farina returns to the 'Jacks for the 2018 season, while returners Pedro Flores and Chris Shirk look to improve upon previous marks.

A larger women's roster features seven total freshman, including newcomers Alexis Antkowiak, Meredith Clayton, Bailey Kinney, Lauren Ross, Isabelle Shamblin, Roberts and Ariceaga. Taryn Surratt returns to the team for her junior season after a 10th place finish at the Southland Conference Championships last fall, while sophomore Kelsey Ramirez looks to build off a successful freshman campaign last spring for the track and field team. Other returning runners for the 'Jacks include Claire Crone, Elizabeth Guerra, Christina Hernandez, LaSean Davis, while Carolyn Evans, Graciela Carrasco, Aliece Milton, Dejaha Redrick and Miranda Thornhill return after redshirting last season.

-SFA-