ABILENE – The ACU men's cross country team will put its 19-year Lone Star Conference winning streak on the line Saturday morning when ACU hosts the LSC Cross Country Championship meet at Sherrod Park.
The ACU men and the Midwestern State women are the defending champions, and are each favored to win the 2010 titles. The men's 8-kilometer is scheduled for a 9:30 a.m. start, followed by the women's 6-kilometer race at 10:30 a.m.
For the Wildcats, defending conference champion
Amos Sang is back for his senior season, along with
Cleophas Tanui and
Romain Rybicki. A talented group of freshmen that includes
Erik Forrister,
Will Mack,
Josh Taylor,
Gary Duncan and
Soren Thompson will should give the Wildcats a solid chance to win their 20th straight conference championship.
If the Wildcats should falter, East Central will be one of the teams waiting in the wings to pick up the conference championship trophy. The Tigers are led by transfer Ezekiel Kissorio, redshirt Daniel Kiptoo and transfer Armando Saldivar.
Eastern New Mexico, Incarnate Word, Cameron, West Texas A&M and Tarleton State will also battle for top-five finishes in a tightly bunched group behind ACU.
On the women's side, Midwestern State is the class of the field with returning individual champion Sydney Cole leading way for the Mustangs. Transfer Brissia Montalvo, as well as returnees Lindsay Pate and Heather Owens gives the Mustangs a tough top four.
Angelo State will battle for a second-place finish, while Eastern New Mexico, ACU, Incarnate Word and West Texas A&M will battle for top-five finishes.
The Wildcats were a disappointing eighth last year, but figure to move up a few spots this year with transfers
Anais Belledant and
Alyse Goldsmith complementing returner
Chloe Susset in the ACU lineup. The Wildcats will have to have some of their freshmen provide depth at the bottom of the lineup for ACU to make a top-five run.
