Men's Cross Country Hosts NCAA South Region Championships
11/9/2004 12:00:00 AM
 |
|
The University of Alabama men’s cross country team will finally have an opportunity to showcase its talents in front of a home crowd this weekend as the team hosts the 2004 NCAA South Region Championships.
The Crimson Tide was originally scheduled to host the Crimson Classic on Friday, September 17; however, Hurricane Ivan altered that plan so Bama was forced to wait until this weekend to host its first home meet.
“We’re real excited to host a regional,” said Alabama cross country coach Joe Walker. “Anytime you can host an event of that caliber at your own school is exciting. This is one more chance to see if our guys can put it together as a group and elevate us back up to the area we’re accustomed to being in.
“I think it’s a huge advantage (running at home), especially from a team concept. The years we’ve competed and won regional titles, we’ve always run well at home. I would expect us to have a great effort out there based on the fact that we’ll have family and friends out there and the comfort factor of knowing the course well.”
Bama will be looking to improve upon its fifth place finish from last season and Walker will be looking for Alex Korir and Kevin McDonough to help carry the Tide.
“Those guys have really represented us well this year,” said Walker. “They’re always at the front of the race competing and leading the team. Both of those guys have a realistic shot of advancing as individuals.”
McDonough was the highest place finisher at last year’s meet of the returning Alabama athletes, earning All-South Region honors with a 13th place finish.
Helping to carry the load with Korir and McDonough will be Peter Etoot. Etoot missed the first part of the season while trying to determine whether he would red shirt or not.
The meet gets underway Saturday (Nov. 20) at 10 a.m. at the Harry Pritchett Golf Course with the women’s 6-kilometer race followed by the men’s 10k race at 11 a.m.
