BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University men's and women's cross-country teams will compete at the 2016 Southern Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The meet, hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, will feature men's and women's squads from all 10 SoCon member institutions.
Samford head cross-country coach
Pat McGregor said his Bulldogs are prepared for the challenge.
"I think they just need to treat it with the same effort they've been giving in practice and in previous races. If they do that, they'll do fine," McGregor said. "I think the big thing is when you get to a big championship meet, you don't need to do anything different – just keep doing what you've been doing and give great effort."
The Samford men and women are riding waves of momentum into the championship competition. At their last race, the Alabama Crimson Classic on Oct. 14, both teams posted strong performances.
The men, led by junior Arsène Guillorel's fifth-place showing, finished fourth against a talented field. The Bulldogs placed ahead of Auburn, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Tennessee, along with a host of other opponents.
As a result, the Bulldog men vaulted into the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South Region rankings, which were last released Oct. 17.
The previously unranked Bulldogs leaped to the region's No. 7 position.
"I think it just shows what you're capable of doing," McGregor said. "You've got to live up to that ranking."
The Bulldog women also earned a spot in the USTFCCCA South Region rankings after their performance at the Crimson Classic, where junior
Karisa Nelson led the team to a ninth-place finish.
Previously unranked, the Samford women moved to No. 15 in the Oct. 17 poll.
"I'm not going to limit ourselves to that place," McGregor said. "I have my own expectations and that has nothing to do with other people's expectations."
Both Samford squads will enter the conference meet looking to improve upon last year's standings. At the 2015 SoCon Cross Country Championships, the men placed fourth and the women tied for fifth.
Atop the pack, Guillorel will aim to defend his individual conference title. In 2015, he bested the field to become the first men's individual conference cross-country champion in program history.
Nelson, along with fellow junior
Emma Garner, will attempt to climb the women's race leaderboard. In 2015, the duo earned All-SoCon Second Team honors after finishing eighth and 10th, respectively.
Both Samford squads were pegged to finish third in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll, but McGregor said he believes that a pair of top-two finishes is attainable.
The Bulldog men have never finished higher than fourth, and the Bulldog women have not finished higher than third since winning back-to-back conference championships in 2009 and 2010.
"They're definitely prepared," McGregor said. "They're set up for success."
The men's 8K race at the SoCon Championships will begin at 10 a.m. The women's 5K race will follow at 10:45 a.m.
Make sure to follow @SamfordTrack on Twitter for updates throughout the morning.
