Nov. 18, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- On Monday, Samford senior Lauren Blankenship will run in her third NCAA Championship race. The Alpharetta, Ga., native is a two-time All-American in track and has won the Ohio Valley Conference Championships twice in her career here at Samford. She will try for her first All-American cross country honors.

Blankenship finished third in the NCAA Cross Country South Regional qualifier last Saturday, Nov. 6. She has finished in the top three of every single race she has run this season, notching three first place finishes, one second and two thirds. She has not been beaten by an American-born runner this year.

Her first trip to the NCAA Championships as a sophomore resulted in a finish around 150 of the 256 best runners in the country. As a junior, she was injured in the conference championship and was not able to train for the three week leading up to the NCAA. Still, she finished 52nd overall. To earn the All-American status, she must finish in the top 25 runners of the event.

"I have no doubt Lauren can attain All-American status in Cross Country," Samford head coach Glenn McWaters said. "She is one of the best distance runners in the U.S. She has more desire, dedication and determination than anyone with whom I have had the privilege of working. It will be fun to watch her race in the last collegiate cross country meet of her career."

The NCAA Championships will be hosted by Indiana State University at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind. The 2007 championship will be the fourth straight hosted by Indiana State. The event will be televised on CSTV at 11 a.m. CDT, marking the first time the Championships will be seen on live television. A direct link to CSTV can be found at www.ustfccca.com.