Alabama The University of Alabama did not compete last weekend in preparation for the SEC Championships at Kentucky this weekend. The No.12 ranked University of Alabama Men's Cross country team will be led at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Championships by sophomore Emmanuel Bor. He has been honored the previous two weeks as the SEC Male Runner of the Week from his performances at the NCAA Pre-National Race and the Bill Dellinger Invitational at the University of Oregon. Bor finished third at the NCAA Pre-Nationals with a time of 23:19 over the 8k course. That time was a new personal record for him and the fastest 8k time this season in the SEC. The next closest time is team mate Augustus Maiyo who has been a close second to Bor this entire season. Maiyo earned All-SEC in 2005 and 2006.The three and four spots on will be anchored by junior Abraham Kutingala and freshman Andrew Kirwa. Kutingala was All-SEC in 2005 and 2006. Kirwa has been recognized twice by the SEC this season as the Male Freshman runner of the week. In the fifth spot is junior Titus Koeh, who has returned to the Tide after suffering an injury most of last season, he was All-SEC in 2005. The Crimson Tide finished third at last years championships, with three athletes earning All- SEC, Bor, Maiyo and Kutingala.
Arkansas The No. 8 Razorbacks will travel to Lexington, Ky. for the 2007 SEC Championships, Sat, Oct. 27. The men's race is set to go off at 10 a.m. The Hogs will be contending for Arkansas' 34th-consecutive conference title and its 17th-consecutive SEC title. Among teams in major conferences, Arkansas' streak of 33-consecutive cross country titles is the longest in any sport. UA harriers have won 10 of the 16 SEC individual titles since Arkansas joined the league in 1991. Of the 10 title winners, three were repeat winners, winning two-consecutive titles (Godfrey Siamusiye, 1995-96; Michael Power, 1998-99; Josphat Boit, 2004-05). At the 2006 SEC Championships, the Razorbacks finished four harriers in the top five, five in the top 7, seven in the top 21 and eight in the top 26. The Razorbacks sit at tied for No. 8 on the USTFCCCA National poll and No. 1 on the South Central Regional poll. They are the top-ranked SEC team in the nation and sit at No. 1 among SEC schools in the South Central Region. Lane Boyer, Michael Chinchar, Duncan Phillips and Rio Reina will be making their SEC Cross Country Championship debuts this weekend in Lexington. Reina, a sophomore, has competed in the SEC Outdoor Championships. The rest are true freshmen competing in their first SEC Championship event.
Auburn This weekend the Auburn men's cross country team is looking to improve its 11th place SEC finish from 2006. It was the first time since 1935 that the Tigers did not finish in the top 10. Since 1990, the Tigers have had nine top five finishes, and six SEC individual Champions. Auburn is counting on Felix Kiboiywo, who has finished in the top 10 of every meet, to lead the team. Auburn will also look to Pat Philbin, Simon Nyang, Scott Novack, Joby Peake and Chase Oliver to race strong.
Georgia The Georgia men travel to Lexington, Ky., for the SEC Championships on Oct. 27 after finishing 30th at the NCAA Pre-Nationals on Oct. 13. Senior Ryley Miller, who has led the Bulldogs in all four of their 2007 meets, crossed the finish line first for the Georgia men in Terre Haute, Ind., in 80th place (24:23.5). The Bulldogs will be looking to improve on their fifth-place finish at the 2006 SEC meet.
Florida The Florida men's cross country team looks to start the championship portion of the season with a strong showing at the SEC Championships. The Gators have finished in the top three each of the last five years and have had an individual place in the top 10 each of the last three seasons. Three Gators, junior Jeremy Criscione and seniors Steven Hassen and Enoch Nadler, earned All-SEC honors last season and all return looking to do the same in 2007. Florida earned its first ranking since the pre-season poll after its performance at the Pre-NCAA Invitational and are currently No. 30 in the USTFCCCA Poll.
Kentucky The Wildcats finished out their regular season with a fourth-place finish, three points behind the host Nittany Lions, at the Penn State National Invite in State College, Pa. October 12. Senior André Silva paced the University of Kentucky men's cross country team by claiming the top medal honor. Kentucky placed four runners in the top 30 at the meet. The UK men are ranked ninth in the latest Southeast Region poll (10/22), their highest position of the season. The Cats host the SEC Championship Saturday October 27 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
LSU Following a weekend off, LSU returns to action this Saturday at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky. The Tigers, who are ranked sixth in the South Central region, looks to improve on their ninth place finish at this meet a year ago. They will aim to do that on the heels of junior Joseph Simuchimba who has been the Tigers' top runner in each of their four meets this season. He enters the championships with the 11th best 8K time in the conference this season at 23:56.93. Also looking to contribute towards the team score are Jacob Simmons, Michael Hendry and Elkana Kosgei, who have all finished among the Tigers' top five in each of their races this season.
Ole Miss The Ole Miss cross country teams are slated to compete Saturday morning at the SEC Championships from Lexington, Ky. On the men's side, the Rebels feature the reigning SEC champion in the 8K race in sophomore Barnabus Kirui. As a true freshman in 2006, Kirui won the race with a time of 23:53.24 to become the first Rebel to claim the individual crown since Pablo Sierra accomplished the feat in 2002. Kirui also owns the Rebels' top time this season as he finished the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic in a time of 24:05.18. Senior Samantha Mazer is Ole Miss' top returner from a season ago as she earned a 70th place finish at the SEC Championships with her time of 22:54.35. Mazer's top time this season was a mark of 18:52.42 at the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic.
Mississippi State Junior Jonthan Rono comes into the 2007 SEC Championship having led the Bulldogs as their top finisher four out of five times, good for fourth on MSU's all-time top finisher list. Rono and freshman Ben Blakenship have been MState's top two finishers at every meet this season. Blakenship was the Bulldog's top finisher at Pre-Nationals, the first time he has achieved that feat this season. Blakenship's time of 24:15 he notched at Pre-Nationals is a personal record. Rono's time of 24:27 he picked up at Pre-Nationals is a personal record.
Tennessee Tennessee enters the SEC Championship race following two consecutive fourth-place finishes at the conference championship. The Vols have been led by junior Andrew Press, who recorded the second-fastest time by a Vol on the LaVern Championship Cross Country 8K course last time out, in the last three races. Press, juniors Denton Jones and Steve Tobin and freshman Michael Spooner have scored for Tennessee in all four races this season. Jones led the Vols in the season-opening 8K Covered Bridge Open. Tennessee leads the conference with 25 SEC cross country team championships and 16 SEC individual champions.
Vanderbilt The Vanderbilt men, ranked 13th in the south region, travel to Lexington, Ky., for the SEC Championships on Oct. 27 after finishing 16th out of 32 teams at the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Senior Austin Williamson has led the Commodores in three of their four 2007 meets (He did not participate in the Greater Louisville Classic b/c he was taking the LSAT that day). Williamson finished the 10k race 35th overall in 31:37.7. The Commodores will be looking to improve on their 10th place finish at the 2006 SEC meet.
Women's Notebook
Alabama The University of Alabama did not compete last weekend in preparation for the SEC Championships at Kentucky this weekend. The University of Alabama women's cross country team will be led at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Championships by Freshman Haley Moody. She has been the Tide's top finisher at every race this season including a second place finish at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational and a third place finish at the Crimson Classic. She was honored by the SEC as Freshman of the Week for her performance at the Crimson Classic. After Moody the Tide will look to senior Farrah Stewart, sophomore Ashley Ard, junior Jen Gray, freshman Megan Hawkins and sophomore Rue Chitwood to compete well.
Arkansas The Lady Razorbacks are seeking their second consecutive SEC Championship this weekend in Lexington, Ky. Returning six of its top seven runners from last fall, all of which earned all-SEC honors, the Lady Razorbacks are confident that they could repeat as champions. Junior Dacia Barr is scheduled to make her 2007 debut at the meet. The SEC runner-up a year ago, Barr was sidelined to minor knee surgery from the summer but has been training for a month and should be ready to compete at the SEC Championships. Arkansas has won a league leading 11 SEC titles since joining league in 1991, more than double the next highest total (Tennessee, 5). Arkansas has had seven individuals win the conference championship race a total of 10 times with Amy Yoder Begley being the last Arkansas runner to repeat as champion (1997, 1998, 1999).
Auburn Following last year's 10th place finish, Auburn is looking to improve their SEC finish in 2007. Last year was the Tigers' lowest finish since 1983. Since then, the Tigers have had 16 top 5 finishes, most recently finishing 5th in 2004, when Angela Homan took first place and Kylee Swanson took 12th. The Tigers are counting on top competitor Hollie Knight to be the front-runner for Auburn. Though only a freshman, Knight has finished in the top 10 in two races, including a number one finish. Auburn will also look to Sabrina Fischer, Amber Riley, Laurel Pritchard and Allison Smith to have a solid showing in the championship.
Georgia The No. 29 Georgia women are coming off an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. Senior Sarah Madebach, who is the reigning SEC Female Athlete of the Week, grabbed the top spot for the Lady Bulldogs after taking 18th (20:48.4) in the 5K race and was the first conference runner across the finish line. The Lady Bulldogs, who took second at the 2006 league meet, will battle their conference rivals at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 27.
Florida The Florida women's cross country team is looking to improve to one of the top three teams in the conference, building on recent success in regular season meets. The Gators have not finished higher than fourth at the conference championship since 2001. Junior Jacy Kruzel (2005) and senior Lindsay Sundell (2006) have each earned All-SEC honors in the past and are looking to lead the Gators in earning the honor again in 2007. The Gator women are currently ranked No. 27 in the USTFCCCA Poll.
Kentucky The Wildcats are on the brink of the national rankings heading into this week's SEC Cross Country Championships. Kentucky earned votes in last week's (10/16) USTFCCCA poll placing them as the highest unranked team and fourth SEC squad in the rankings. The Cats also rank at their highest position of the season in the regional rankings; sitting third in the Southeast Region in the latest poll (10/22). After winning the first three meets of the season, Kentucky placed third at the Penn State National Invitational on October 12 to close out its regular season. The Cats finished behind two nationally ranked teams at the meet and outpaced two teams that received votes in that week's national poll. Three UK runners finished within one second of each other for the top team finish over the 6K course. The spread from the first Wildcat finish to the fifth was a mere 14 seconds, the squad's best of the year. The Cats host the SEC Championship Saturday October 27 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington..
LSU After a weekend off, LSU returns to action this Saturday at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky. The Lady Tigers look to improve on last year's finish at the conference meet where they finished ninth out of the 12 team field. Pacing LSU this season has been senior Kate Accardo. She has been the Tigers' No. 1 finisher in each of its four races this season and enters the meet with a season-best 6K time of 22:37.83. Other key contributors include Jennifer Radecker, Lindsay Day and Erin Vandivort.
Mississippi State The Lady Bulldogs have been led by two freshmen, Sarah Hammes and Simone Domingue. Hammes' time of 21:44 ran at Pre-Nationals is a personal record, as well as for Domingue (21:51). Both Hammes and Domingue climbed onto MSU's all-time top finisher list ( two top finishes apiece).
South Carolina Senior Rebecca Chain has finished first for the Gamecocks in every race this season. Her fastest 5K time was 18:30 at the Asics-Winthrop Invitational. She claimed two top-five finishes at both the Asics-Winthrop and Charlotte Invitational finishing 5th. Freshman Ashley Evens is the leading freshman for South Carolina finishing second for the Gamecocks in every race this season. South Carolina claimed two second places finishes at both the Asics-Winthrop and the Charlotte Invitational. They claimed a third place finish at the Gamecock Invitational.
Tennessee The Lady Vols enter the Southeastern Conference Championships with a 78-15 overall record this season, having won the Belmont Opener, finished second at the Bulldog Stampede and taken eighth at both the Brooks Paul Short Run and the Penn State National Invitational…Tennessee, which has won three of the past four SEC meets, finished third a year ago…The Big Orange has posted top-three team outcomes at six straight league races…Lady Vol junior Sarah Bowman, who enters the meet with the fourth-best 6K readout in the conference this season at 20:51, finished seventh at the SEC Championships a year ago and was sixth as a freshman in 2005…She has twice been named the SEC Cross Country Athlete of the Week this season...Since J.J. Clark became UT's head coach in 2002, the Big Orange is 102-15 (.872) vs. SEC foes, including 51-4 (.927) in SEC Championship meets.
Vanderbilt The Commodore women (ranked 11th in the south region) are coming off a 15th place finish out of 41 teams at the Chile Pepper Festival. Freshman Rita Jorgensen, who has led the team in every race this season (except for the Southeastern Classic which the A team did not run), grabbed the top spot for the Commodores after taking 35th (22:02.4) overall in the 6k race. Vanderbilt, who took seventh at the 2006 league meet, will battle their conference rivals at the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 27.