NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The WKU men's and women's cross country teams open up their inaugural season in Conference USA on Friday at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tenn. against a regional crop of opponents at the Belmont Opener.
The Lady Toppers will run the 5,000-meter course at 5:30 p.m. (CT) while the men will follow with a separate 5K race at 6 p.m. Both squads will face off against 12 teams, including four teams regionally ranked in the preseason United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason poll.
Both Belmont and Lipscomb's teams are ranked in the South Region while Vanderbilt's women, Kentucky's men and Middle Tennessee's men are also ranked in their respective regions. The Lady Commodores are the highest ranked team in the field, coming in at No. 2 in the South Region. Lipscomb is the highest ranked men's squad with a No. 6 ranking in the South Region.
In addition to their ranked competition, WKU will also meet up with a pair of C-USA foes in Middle Tennessee and UAB.
"We want to go in, run a competitive race and come home healthy," said head coach Erik Jenkins, who enters his seventh season at the helm of the cross country program. "It's a shorter course but it gives our athletes an opportunity to go out and compete. They have had a summer where they have been logging a lot of miles, so for them to get in a competitive environment will be a good thing."
The Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers are primed for a successful 2014 campaign as they return four of five point scorers from last season's Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships.
For the men, senior David Mokone returns after winning the men's individual crown last season while sophomore Peter Agaba, an all-conference performer as a rookie, is also back. Endalow Takele won the 5,000-meters and finished third in the 10,000-meters at the outdoor conference championships last spring and will run his first season of cross country for the Hilltoppers this fall.
The Lady Toppers bring back their nucleus as well, headlined by junior Katie Lever, who was an all-conference performer in the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons in 2013-14. Lever and senior Jodi Miller, along with fellow juniors Taylor Carlin and Baylee Shofner, all return after a third-place team finish at the 2013 SBC Championships.
Live results from the Belmont Opener will be posted at cfpitiming.com at the conclusion of the races. For more information on WKU Cross Country, follow the program on Twitter at @WKUTrackField.
