TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After solid performances at the Crimson Classic, the LSU cross country teams return to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to compete at the 2014 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships being held Friday at the Harry Pritchett Recreation Complex.
The women will commence the action, racing the 6k course at 9 a.m. CDT preceding the men’s 8k race at 10 a.m. in the event being hosted by the University of Alabama.
The field will be composed of the 14 SEC schools, including USTFCCCA nationally-ranked No. 23 Arkansas’ men squad and No. 5 Arkansas and No. 14 Vanderbilt women’s squads.
LSU’s women placed ninth overall two weeks ago at the Crimson Classic with five runners finishing in the Top 100 out of 291 runners. Junior Morgan Schuetz and senior Andria Aguilar led the Lady Tigers, Schuetz finishing just a second before Aguilar for top-35 finishes.
Competing in the SEC Championship meet with Schuetz and Aguilar are sophomores Ashley Welborn, Chaiss Matthews and senior Andrea Maxwell, who all placed in the Top 100 at the Crimson Classic.
The Lady Tigers return to the SEC Championship with experience as Schuetz, Welborn, Matthews and Aguilar led the women to a 14th-place team finish at the SEC meet a year ago.
Senior Philip Primeaux and junior Travis Pope led the men at the Crimson Classic with top-30 finishes out of 261 runners to help the men’s team place 15th overall. Freshman D.C. Lipani was the third runner to finish for the Tigers with a Top 100 finish.
In last year’s SEC Championship, the Tigers finished 12th overall with Primeaux leading the team with his 42nd-place finish. Other Tigers who competed in last year’s championship include Pope, sophomore Joseph St. Cyr, Philip Dempsey and Bryan Mutell.
After the LSU cross country teams compete in the SEC Championship, the Tigers and Lady Tigers will travel back to Fayetteville, Arkansas to compete in the NCAA South Central Regional. The regional meet will take place Friday, November 14, at Agri Park Cross Country Course.
For the latest information on LSU’s men’s and women’s cross country teams, fans can follow the Tigers and Lady Tigers on twitter @LSUTrackField and on Facebook by liking LSU Track and Field.