Friday, October 26
Auburn, Ala.
9 a.m.
Texas A&M
at
SEC Championships
SEC Cross Country Championships offer first postseason test for Aggies
Oct 23, 2018 | Cross Country
AUBURN – Texas A&M will race in the SEC Cross Country Championships this Friday, Oct. 26, on the Indian Pines golf course. The women's 6,000m race begins at 9 a.m. (CT) with the men's 8,000m race following at 10 a.m.
The Aggies will have 10 men and 12 women contesting the conference meet. Out of those groups, the A&M men return six from last year's SEC race while the women have five returning. Results from the SEC Championships will be available online at www.deltatiming.com.
Jon Bishop is the top returning Aggie on the men's side, having placed 23rd in the meet a year ago to finish second for A&M. For the women, Kelsie Warren is the top returning Aggie as she placed 10th last season in leading the squad as Ashley Driscoll followed in 17th place. Last year both Texas A&M programs were eighth in team scoring.
"We just want to keep getting better and finish better than we did last year," noted Texas A&M assistant coach Wendel McRaven. "Last year our women were eighth, which was incredibly disappointing, but we were just 17 points out of fourth place. I've been reminding the team at this time of the year, in meets like this where the intensity gets ramped up, every place matters. It's time to execute on race day.
"We're ahead of where we were last year, especially on the women's side, so we're in a good place going into the conference meet. On the men's side we will find out this week if we get Bishop back after he missed the Barrios Invitational."
While Bishop and Warren lead the returning group Aggies competing in the conference meet, a crop of talented freshmen may play keys factors for Texas A&M. Throughout this season various freshmen have placed among the Aggie scoring five.
During the recent Arturo Barrios Invitational, Gavin Hoffpauir placed second and Wes McPhail finished fourth among the A&M top five with Bishop not contesting the race. Previously, at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational, McPhail was third and Hoffpauir fifth among the Aggie crew.
On the women's side, the freshman trio of Abbey Santoro, Rachel Bernardo and Carrie Fish were the second, third and fourth finishers for the Aggies at the Barrios Invitational. Competing in the Loyola meet, Fish and Bernardo finished second and third while Santoro was fifth.
"On both sides we've had freshmen step in and make an immediate impact," stated McRaven. "You recruit with that in mind, but you usually expect distance runners to take time to move into those roles. It's good to have new faces and personalities in the mix. It brings new energy. It will be fun to look back in a few years and see the progress they have made."
In national rankings, Arkansas and Mississippi are No. 20 and No. 21 in the men's poll with Alabama No. 30. On the women's side, Arkansas ranks No. 5 while Georgia is No. 24 and Mississippi is No. 26.
The Razorback men have won the past eight SEC cross country team titles and 25 of the past 27 since joining the SEC in 1991. Alabama, runner-up a year ago, won conference titles in 2008 and 2009. Meanwhile, the Arkansas women have claimed the past five SEC team titles.
"On the women's side Arkansas is a top five team in the country, while the men are in the top 20 and Mississippi is right there in the same conversation with them," said McRaven. "Alabama men could have been a factor, and may still be, but it appears they may not have the depth this season due to a couple of injuries. If those guys are healthy then all of a sudden Alabama could be battling to win."
This is the seventh conference cross country meet the Aggies will compete in since joining the SEC in 2012. Both the men and women have produced a runner-up team finish over that span, with the Texas A&M women achieving the feat in 2013 while the men followed in 2015 when the Aggies hosted the SEC Championships.
The Aggies will have 10 men and 12 women contesting the conference meet. Out of those groups, the A&M men return six from last year's SEC race while the women have five returning. Results from the SEC Championships will be available online at www.deltatiming.com.
Jon Bishop is the top returning Aggie on the men's side, having placed 23rd in the meet a year ago to finish second for A&M. For the women, Kelsie Warren is the top returning Aggie as she placed 10th last season in leading the squad as Ashley Driscoll followed in 17th place. Last year both Texas A&M programs were eighth in team scoring.
"We just want to keep getting better and finish better than we did last year," noted Texas A&M assistant coach Wendel McRaven. "Last year our women were eighth, which was incredibly disappointing, but we were just 17 points out of fourth place. I've been reminding the team at this time of the year, in meets like this where the intensity gets ramped up, every place matters. It's time to execute on race day.
"We're ahead of where we were last year, especially on the women's side, so we're in a good place going into the conference meet. On the men's side we will find out this week if we get Bishop back after he missed the Barrios Invitational."
While Bishop and Warren lead the returning group Aggies competing in the conference meet, a crop of talented freshmen may play keys factors for Texas A&M. Throughout this season various freshmen have placed among the Aggie scoring five.
During the recent Arturo Barrios Invitational, Gavin Hoffpauir placed second and Wes McPhail finished fourth among the A&M top five with Bishop not contesting the race. Previously, at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational, McPhail was third and Hoffpauir fifth among the Aggie crew.
On the women's side, the freshman trio of Abbey Santoro, Rachel Bernardo and Carrie Fish were the second, third and fourth finishers for the Aggies at the Barrios Invitational. Competing in the Loyola meet, Fish and Bernardo finished second and third while Santoro was fifth.
"On both sides we've had freshmen step in and make an immediate impact," stated McRaven. "You recruit with that in mind, but you usually expect distance runners to take time to move into those roles. It's good to have new faces and personalities in the mix. It brings new energy. It will be fun to look back in a few years and see the progress they have made."
In national rankings, Arkansas and Mississippi are No. 20 and No. 21 in the men's poll with Alabama No. 30. On the women's side, Arkansas ranks No. 5 while Georgia is No. 24 and Mississippi is No. 26.
The Razorback men have won the past eight SEC cross country team titles and 25 of the past 27 since joining the SEC in 1991. Alabama, runner-up a year ago, won conference titles in 2008 and 2009. Meanwhile, the Arkansas women have claimed the past five SEC team titles.
"On the women's side Arkansas is a top five team in the country, while the men are in the top 20 and Mississippi is right there in the same conversation with them," said McRaven. "Alabama men could have been a factor, and may still be, but it appears they may not have the depth this season due to a couple of injuries. If those guys are healthy then all of a sudden Alabama could be battling to win."
This is the seventh conference cross country meet the Aggies will compete in since joining the SEC in 2012. Both the men and women have produced a runner-up team finish over that span, with the Texas A&M women achieving the feat in 2013 while the men followed in 2015 when the Aggies hosted the SEC Championships.
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