Cross Country Set for Mountain Regional
November 10, 2005 | Cross Country
Nov. 10, 2005
Lubbock, Texas - The Texas Tech cross country squads will travel to Provo, Utah this weekend, for the NCAA Mountain Regional meet. BYU will be hosting the meet at the East Bay Golf Course on Sat., Nov. 12. The men's race will start at 12 p.m. and the women will follow at 1 p.m.
The top two teams will earn an automatic trip to the National Championships, in Terre Haute, Ind., on Mon., Nov. 21. The top four individuals, not on the top two teams, will also receive an automatic bid to the National meet. Of those who don't automatically qualify, 13 teams and two individuals, from the national pool, can earn an at-large bid.
The Tech men are ranked 14th in the region after a ninth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Kevin Chelimo was the top finisher in fourth place and earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and all-conference honors.
Big 12 rival Colorado is leading the Mountain region in the rankings and is seated at third in the nation.
The Tech women finished sixth at the conference meet and are seated at ninth in the Mountain region. Violet Chemakwila was the top performer for the Red and Black in third place. She also earned all-conference honors, along with Irene Kimaiyo who finished in 10th place.
The hosting BYU Cougars are leading the region on the women's side and are currently ranked seventh in the National poll. Big 12 opponent Colorado is ranked second in the region and 10th in the nation.
"We compete in a very tough region," said head coach Jon Murray. "It's probably one of the toughest in the country. They aren't a lot of teams in our region but the quality is outstanding. We want to get people to Nationals. Kevin, Violet and Irene have the best chances. Team-wise, we are looking for a top 10 finish."
For complete results, visit www.byucougars.com or www.ncaasports.com.
