Women's Cross Country Releases 2009 Schedule
7/22/2009 12:00:00 AM
Two weeks later, the team will host the 21st Annual Crimson Classic at the Harry Pritchett Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Friday, Sept. 18. The Tide won last year's meet with a score of 38 points.
"The front half of the schedule is very similar to how we've started the last couple of years," Hasenbank said. "We're going to start out with the Belmont Opener which is a nice opener. It's still very competitive, but it's only a 4k event so it's a way to get our feet wet and I can assess everyone's fitness as far as being ready to compete or not. Two weeks later, we host the Crimson Classic which is a nice event for us because our friends, family and the locals can come out and see us compete. This year could be a little bit more competitive than it has been because we are hosting the regional so some of those teams may want to come in and see the course."
The squad will preview the site of the SEC Championships when it faces conference rival Ole Miss at the Ole Miss Invite on Sept. 26 in Oxford, Miss.
The Crimson Tide will then travel to Stillwater, Okla. for the OSU Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State University on Oct. 3.
Before starting the championship portion of the schedule, Alabama will get a look at the NCAA Championship course in Terre Haute, Ind. while competing at Pre-Nationals on Oct. 17.
"This year, the schedule gets a little more competitive with the OSU Jamboree, which is a very solid meet and one of the oldest meets west of the Mississippi," Hasenbank said. "It's a very competitive meet with a lot of different schools we don't usually see. We'll follow that up with the Pre-National meet which will give us an opportunity to earn some points towards the at-large bid. The team is going to be a little bit more mature, we're still young with a lot of sophomores on the squad but I think it's time for them to see how we stack up."
As previously mentioned, the SEC Championships will be held in Oxford, Miss. on Oct. 31. In 2008, the Crimson Tide finished seventh, their best finish since 2000 when they placed fifth.
"We've got Ole Miss hosting the SEC Championships this year," Hasenbank said. "I don't know a whole lot about the course but again it's the SEC Championships so it will be very intense and of course our goal is to compete well there and finish high."
Alabama will host the NCAA South Regional for the first time since 2004 when they finished 15th. The squad posted a eighth place finish last season after not even scoring as a team the previous year. The eighth place finish was the highest since 1999 for the ladies and they had not finished top 10 since 2000.
"Following that, we'll host the South Regional in Tuscaloosa," Hasenbank said. "Regarding that, I think it's a great event for us and it's a great way to promote the sport. It's a really good opportunity for us to run at home and not have the burden of travelling. I know the women are excited just as the men are excited to host as well."
The Crimson Tide hopes to compete at the NCAA Championships being held in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 23.
2009 Women's Cross Country Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
| September 4 | Belmont Opener | Nashville, Tenn. |
| September 18 | Crimson Classic | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| September 26 | Ole Miss Invite | Oxford, Miss. |
| October 3 | OSU Jamboree | Stillwater, Okla. |
| October 17 | Pre-Nationals | Terre Haute, Ind. |
| October 31 | SEC Championships | Oxford, Miss. |
| November 14 | NCAA South Region Championships | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| November 23 | NCAA Championships | Terre Haute, Ind. |
