BATON ROUGE — After taking a weekend off from competition, the LSU men’s and women’s cross country teams return to action Saturday at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede in Lake Charles, La.
Joining LSU in the field will be host McNeese State, along with Central Arkansas, Dillard, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, UT-Arlington and UL-Lafayette.
The women’s 5K race is set to begin at 8:45 a.m. CDT, while the men will run four miles beginning at 9:15 a.m.
“McNeese State has a really good team,” said cross country coach Mark Elliot. “So, we know the competition is going to be very good.”
The weekend off worked out very well for the men, allowing the team to prepare for both this meet and the Chili Pepper Invitational next weekend.
“My goal for the men’s team this weekend is figuring out who the eighth, ninth and 10th runners are,” Elliott said. “This meet will be their last chance to get into the top 10 and be able to travel to next weekend’s meet.”
Senior Richard Chautin aims to continue his impressive running after finishing first and second, respectively, in the first two meets of the season. Fellow senior Tim Landry has also had a strong start to the season, collecting two top 10 finishes thus far.
Meanwhile, the break from competition was not as kind for the women, as several runners will not make the trip due to illness. Sophomores Brea and Dakota Goodman as well as freshman Michelle Mobley are among the women staying home this weekend.
“The women are not going to be at full-strength,” said Elliott. “However, it is important for the girls to get healthy now and get ready for the upcoming meets.”
Among the women that will be running is junior Laura Carleton. The Lake Charles native has recorded two top 10 finishes this season and looks to keep leading the way for the women’s team in her return home.
Follow the LSU men’s and women’s cross country teams on Twitter @LSUTrackField and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LSUtrackfield.