Bulldogs Prepare For Conference Championship
10.27.17 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country
Birmingham, Ala. - - The Samford men's and women's cross country squads will compete in the 2017 Southern Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships Saturday at the Milliken Research Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The event will begin with the women's 5K race at 9 a.m. (CT), followed by the men's 8K race at 9:45 a.m. The Southern Conference postseason awards will be presented following the meet.
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The Bulldogs have shown some promise throughout the season on both the men's and women's side but have yet to run a full and healthy squad.
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"This will be the first time we get to run our true 'A' squad so I'm curious to see what they are capable of especially against a highly ranked team like Furman," Samford Cross Country coach Pat McGregor says when referring to his women's team.
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The Samford Bulldogs were picked to finish second in this year's championships behind Furman on both the men's and women's sides.
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In a year where SoCon foe Furman has dominated the weekly conference awards, the Bulldogs do not plan to back down and will be sure to stick to their race plans. Coach McGregor mentions that he wants to see some of his freshmen such as Ben Garner, Allie Nelson and Abbey Zane step up and show what they are made of.
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Quite a few Bulldogs saw success at last year's championships. In the women's race, Karisa Nelson, who was the winner of the individual title is the fastest returner from the 2016 SoCon meet. Emma Garner as well as Nelson will look to earn All-SoCon First Team honors once again. Senior Anna Long and sophomore Mary Grace Strozier have each had strong races this year and will look to have strong finishes at this year's SoCon Championships.
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On the men's side, senior Arsène Guillorel will lead the Bulldogs into Spartanburg hoping to put together another strong championship performance and reclaim his individual title from the 2015 season. Last year Guillorel along with returners Ben Bryant and Dillon Dean helped the team to a runner-up finish reaching their highest finish in school history.
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"Furman is very tough, one of the top teams in the country so they will be very tough to beat," McGregor said. "But I have never coached a race where we really worry about others and what they are doing. We focus on what we can control and produce on that day"
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 "People will step up, you will see things from people we haven't seen before out of different individuals so I'm excited, it will be a lot of fun."
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Collectively Samford turned in the best performance in program history at last year's meet with second places finishes on both sides and will hope to make history once again.
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A full list of results for the SoCon Championships can be found here.
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For quick updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordTrack and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.
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--- SAMFORD BULLDOGS ---
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The Bulldogs have shown some promise throughout the season on both the men's and women's side but have yet to run a full and healthy squad.
Â
"This will be the first time we get to run our true 'A' squad so I'm curious to see what they are capable of especially against a highly ranked team like Furman," Samford Cross Country coach Pat McGregor says when referring to his women's team.
Â
The Samford Bulldogs were picked to finish second in this year's championships behind Furman on both the men's and women's sides.
Â
In a year where SoCon foe Furman has dominated the weekly conference awards, the Bulldogs do not plan to back down and will be sure to stick to their race plans. Coach McGregor mentions that he wants to see some of his freshmen such as Ben Garner, Allie Nelson and Abbey Zane step up and show what they are made of.
Â
Quite a few Bulldogs saw success at last year's championships. In the women's race, Karisa Nelson, who was the winner of the individual title is the fastest returner from the 2016 SoCon meet. Emma Garner as well as Nelson will look to earn All-SoCon First Team honors once again. Senior Anna Long and sophomore Mary Grace Strozier have each had strong races this year and will look to have strong finishes at this year's SoCon Championships.
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On the men's side, senior Arsène Guillorel will lead the Bulldogs into Spartanburg hoping to put together another strong championship performance and reclaim his individual title from the 2015 season. Last year Guillorel along with returners Ben Bryant and Dillon Dean helped the team to a runner-up finish reaching their highest finish in school history.
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"Furman is very tough, one of the top teams in the country so they will be very tough to beat," McGregor said. "But I have never coached a race where we really worry about others and what they are doing. We focus on what we can control and produce on that day"
Â
 "People will step up, you will see things from people we haven't seen before out of different individuals so I'm excited, it will be a lot of fun."
Â
Collectively Samford turned in the best performance in program history at last year's meet with second places finishes on both sides and will hope to make history once again.
Â
A full list of results for the SoCon Championships can be found here.
Â
For quick updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordTrack and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.
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--- SAMFORD BULLDOGS ---
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Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Monday, September 21
Monday, September 14
Sunday, September 13
Monday, September 07
