Cross Country Teams Primed for C-USA Championships
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
HOUSTON - The Rice men's and women's cross country teams will be vying for a league title this weekend at the 2015 Conference USA Championships, which will be held at the Spero Kereiakes Park in Bowling Green, Ky. on Saturday.
The men will run an 8K race at 9 a.m. (CT) followed by the women's 5K trek at 10 a.m.
Women's Preview
The Rice women, who placed third at last year's C-USA Championships in Denton, enter Saturday's race ranked sixth in the latest USTFCCCA South Central Regional rankings. Aside from the Owls, Southern Miss (9th-South), North Texas (10th-South Central) and UTSA (12th-South Central) also rank in the top 15 in regional polls.
The Owls have won two C-USA team titles (2007, 2005) and have finished in the top three in eight of the 10 seasons they've competed in the league.
Rice will be led by junior Cali Roper, who is the reigning C-USA individual champion after becoming the first Owl to win an individual C-USA title in last year's meet. Roper has been the Owls' top finisher in all four races she's competed in this season, which included a 22nd place finish at Pre-Nationals two weeks ago. Roper was later named the C-USA Female Athlete of the Week following that performance.
Men's Preview
The Rice men, who placed fourth last season, have placed in the top three at the C-USA Championships in eight of the last 10 seasons and will be vying for their first-ever C-USA team title on Saturday.
Senior Will Firth will lead the charge after placing sixth at last year's C-USA Championships, earning all-conference honors. The Phoenix, Ariz. native has been the Owls' top finisher in two of three races this season, including an 11th place finish in the black run of the Pre-Nationals two weeks ago.
Four teams across C-USA are ranked in the Top-15 in the USTFCCCA Regional rankings, led by nationally ranked No. 11 UTEP (No. 3 in Mountain Region). Middle Tennessee (5th-South), North Texas (5th-South Central) and UTSA (15tth-South Central) also check in in the top 15 in their respective regions.
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
