New Orleans --- The Sun Belt Conference Cross Country championships may be over but that doesnt mean that the season is over for the leagues 10 cross country members.
Several Sun Belt cross country runners are prepping for this weekends NCAA Regional Championship meets across the country. Sun Belt teams will compete in four of the nine regional meets on Saturday, Nov. 15.
The largest group of participants will be headed to the South Central Regional in Waco, Texas. The South Central Regional field includes participants from Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Orleans and North Texas. Representatives from Florida International, Middle Tennessee and South Alabama will compete at the South Regional in Auburn, Ala. Sun Belt Conference champions Western Kentucky will compete in the Southeast Regional in Greenville, N.C., while participants from New Mexico State will run in the Mountain Regional in Ogden, Utah.
The top two teams (of seven competitors) from each regional championship meet automatically qualify for the National Championship Meet on Monday, Nov. 24 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Thirteen additional at-large teams will be selected by the Division I track and field subcommittee on Monday, Nov. 17. The top four individuals not on a qualifying team automatically advance to the finals, with two additional qualifiers who will be selected at-large based on the highest non-qualifying finish in regional championship meets and finished in the top 25 in the region.
Full listing of Sun Belt Conference NCAA Regional Cross Country competitors:
South Central Region (Waco, Texas; hosted by Baylor University)
Arkansas-Little Rock - Men - *Johan Lindgren, *Dmitry Shokur, Brock Peterson, Andrey Shokur, Brandon Griffin, Peter Marston, David Wallis, Ryan Garvin; Women - *Chelsie Mock, Carola Eriksson, Liselotte Noren, Aleah Howington, Sunnie Butler
Arkansas State - Men - Tony Chambers, Philbert Amuzu; Women - Toshia Bauer, Stephanie Anaya, Elizabeth Davenport, Candice James, Hayley Hames, Sheri Kiser
Louisiana-Lafayette - Men - Justin Lemaire, D.J. Hebert, Ryan Dupree, Ben Schexnayder, Chad Campbell, Nick Bouterie, Walter Whitfield; Women - *Natalie Gillis, Analise Zaunbrecher, Jennifer Gautreaux, Jennifer Block, Leah Legere, Stacey Enright, Laura Zaunbrecher
New Orleans - Women - Pavlina Vondrkova, Vicky Jones, Jennifer Verheul, Orion Wilson, Naudia Falconer, Stephanie Jones
North Texas - Men - *Matt Gieringer, *Josh Rogers, Jason Bacchus, Justin Kauffman, Eddie Melendez; Women - *Bonnie McKernan, Dagmar Salazar, Cassie Storms, Jill Brennan, Courtney Campbell, Kelly Faszholz
South Region (Auburn, Ala.; hosted by Auburn University)
Florida International - Women - *Rebecca Rodriguez, Amanda Howard, Dalia Clarke, Katherine Cardenas, Daniela Sanchez, Vanessa McKay, Edda Santiago
Middle Tennessee - Men - David Hughes
South Alabama - Men - *Samson Kipchirchir, Philip Lagat; Women - *Angelica Ramirez
Southeast Region (Greenville, N.C.; hosted by East Carolina University)
Western Kentucky - Men - *Daniel Roberts, *David Altmaier, *Kevin Dick, *Enda Grandfield, Gregory Threat, Augustine Amonge, Anthony Cambron, Thomas Howell; Women - *Bonita Paul, *Cara Nichols, *Nicole Jaggers, *Emily Leeper, Larissa Whitley, Susana Beraun, Cheyenne Carmack, Aimee Wellerding
Mountain Region (Ogden, Utah; hosted by Weber State University)
New Mexico State - Men - Santos Contreras; Women - Trine Sierslev
*=2003 all-conference performer