Saturday, October 29
Nacogdoches, Texas
8 a.m.
Abilene Christian
at
WAC Championships
XC Expecting WAC-ky Weather for Championships
10/27/2022 7:46:00 PM | Cross Country
ABILENE - No matter the conference, location or time of year, inclement weather has been a frequent nemesis for ACU cross country.
Wind and sleet iced ACU's 2017 home championship run.
2018 was beset by a Lake Charles quagmire, and an arctic Central Arkansas greeted the 2019 Southland contingent.
A year later the Wildcats had their season postponed to spring, only to endure the effects of a crippling Polar Votex that reached Southeastern Louisiana.
Competing in California last fall gave ACU a brief weather respite, but for Saturday's WAC Championship there again is an expectation of rain and mud in Nacogdoches.
"We're all guessing how much water the (Pecan Acres Park) course can hold," said ACU head XC coach Jarvis Jelen since tomorrow's forecast calls for heavy rainfall with a half inch accumulation. "No one I know has run there when it's been super wet, but either way though we'll be fine. We can make changes on the fly."
The ACU women - ranked 10th in the South Central Region - won their 6K here in September with 25 points under more ideal conditions. Irene Rono placed first in 15:53.6 - more than a whole minute ahead of Ladyjack runner-up Isabel Borrego (17:09.9).
The Wildcat men, meanwhile, earned a third-place finish led by Levi Chambers' time of 24:17.
Rono's win at SFA was her second of the season. This result was succeeded by a bronze-medal showing at Chile Pepper and top-ten finish at Oklahoma State's Pre-Nationals, where she faced off against WAC rivals and Cal Baptist elites Yasna Petrova and Greta Karinauskaite.
"I'm not worried at all about Irene," said Jelen. "She just needs to get in with the lead pack and utilize all her racing skills and instincts."
Six CBU runners finished among the top-20 in Stillwater earlier this month, and enter championship weekend ranked first in the WAC's Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll. Last year's champions from Utah Valley ranked second followed by Southern Utah and ACU.
Jelen says the polls and regional rankings are good for recruiting, but they're still just one big guess.
"I'm glad we vote, but it's hard to know since there's not many head-to-head meetings during the regular season," he said. "There's a lot of talent on Grand Canyon (women). They should poll higher than sixth."
Jelen also was pleasantly surprised his young team received an upper-half ranking, crediting Rono's abilities as a difference maker. She won last year's WAC individual championship (19:44.2) in carrying the Wildcats to a third-place showing along with top-10 harriers Prudence Kiyeng (20:43.6) and Briahna Gerlach (20:45.0).
Rono, Kiyeng and sophomore Katelyn Coldicott are the lone returning Wildcats' from last year's championship squad. They will be joined at SFA by Peyton Bornstein, Renee Elliott, Bella Evans, Kate Hansen and Kate Williams.
ACU's men's team placed seventh at last year's WACs and polled eighth in the thirteen-team field. The Lancers top the men's poll. Utah Valley ranks second and Southern Utah is No. 3. UT Arlington is highest-ranked Texas team at No. 5.
Chambers, who led the Wildcats with a 26th-place WAC finish a year ago, continued to pace ACU throughout 2022, which included a sixth-place run at Abilene's Big Country Festival and third-place outing at SFA.
"Levi is capable of doing big things Saturday," said Jelen. "He races hard ... runs consistent and with confidence."
Joining Chambers on the Wildcats' roster are Kevin Castruita - who competed with Chicago State at the 2021 WACs - plus Gabe Embree, Neal Helgerson, Maxwel Kiplagat, Samuel Lanham, Jacob Russell and Gabe Trevino.
WAC raceday begins at 8 a.m. with the women's 6K followed by the men's 8K at 9 a.m.
Wind and sleet iced ACU's 2017 home championship run.
2018 was beset by a Lake Charles quagmire, and an arctic Central Arkansas greeted the 2019 Southland contingent.
A year later the Wildcats had their season postponed to spring, only to endure the effects of a crippling Polar Votex that reached Southeastern Louisiana.
Competing in California last fall gave ACU a brief weather respite, but for Saturday's WAC Championship there again is an expectation of rain and mud in Nacogdoches.
"We're all guessing how much water the (Pecan Acres Park) course can hold," said ACU head XC coach Jarvis Jelen since tomorrow's forecast calls for heavy rainfall with a half inch accumulation. "No one I know has run there when it's been super wet, but either way though we'll be fine. We can make changes on the fly."
The ACU women - ranked 10th in the South Central Region - won their 6K here in September with 25 points under more ideal conditions. Irene Rono placed first in 15:53.6 - more than a whole minute ahead of Ladyjack runner-up Isabel Borrego (17:09.9).
The Wildcat men, meanwhile, earned a third-place finish led by Levi Chambers' time of 24:17.
Rono's win at SFA was her second of the season. This result was succeeded by a bronze-medal showing at Chile Pepper and top-ten finish at Oklahoma State's Pre-Nationals, where she faced off against WAC rivals and Cal Baptist elites Yasna Petrova and Greta Karinauskaite.
"I'm not worried at all about Irene," said Jelen. "She just needs to get in with the lead pack and utilize all her racing skills and instincts."
Six CBU runners finished among the top-20 in Stillwater earlier this month, and enter championship weekend ranked first in the WAC's Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll. Last year's champions from Utah Valley ranked second followed by Southern Utah and ACU.
Jelen says the polls and regional rankings are good for recruiting, but they're still just one big guess.
"I'm glad we vote, but it's hard to know since there's not many head-to-head meetings during the regular season," he said. "There's a lot of talent on Grand Canyon (women). They should poll higher than sixth."
Jelen also was pleasantly surprised his young team received an upper-half ranking, crediting Rono's abilities as a difference maker. She won last year's WAC individual championship (19:44.2) in carrying the Wildcats to a third-place showing along with top-10 harriers Prudence Kiyeng (20:43.6) and Briahna Gerlach (20:45.0).
Rono, Kiyeng and sophomore Katelyn Coldicott are the lone returning Wildcats' from last year's championship squad. They will be joined at SFA by Peyton Bornstein, Renee Elliott, Bella Evans, Kate Hansen and Kate Williams.
ACU's men's team placed seventh at last year's WACs and polled eighth in the thirteen-team field. The Lancers top the men's poll. Utah Valley ranks second and Southern Utah is No. 3. UT Arlington is highest-ranked Texas team at No. 5.
Chambers, who led the Wildcats with a 26th-place WAC finish a year ago, continued to pace ACU throughout 2022, which included a sixth-place run at Abilene's Big Country Festival and third-place outing at SFA.
"Levi is capable of doing big things Saturday," said Jelen. "He races hard ... runs consistent and with confidence."
Joining Chambers on the Wildcats' roster are Kevin Castruita - who competed with Chicago State at the 2021 WACs - plus Gabe Embree, Neal Helgerson, Maxwel Kiplagat, Samuel Lanham, Jacob Russell and Gabe Trevino.
WAC raceday begins at 8 a.m. with the women's 6K followed by the men's 8K at 9 a.m.
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