Richardson, Texas?The 2013 American Southwest Conference Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday (Nov. 2), hosted by Hardin-Simmons University at Sherrod Park in Abilene, Texas.
The men’s 8k race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and the women’s 6k race will start at 9:15 a.m.
The Texas-Tyler men’s team returns five runners that placed in the top nine in the 2012 ASC Championship including the individual champion, senior Nick Huff (Holly Lake Ranch, Texas/Harmony HS). The Patriots have won seven of the last eight ASC championship meets and have also won six of the last seven individual titles. In 2013, Texas-Tyler has continued to impress, winning three races and have placed in the top five in each event.
Huff has a chance to make league history as he attempts to become the fourth two-time individual champion joining former Texas-Tyler runner Ben Donnan (2006, ‘07), Matthew Manning of Mississippi College (2004, ‘05) and David Chandler of McMurry (1998, 2000). In 2013, Huff has two top 20 finishes, including a first-place time at the Texas-Tyler Twilight (Sept. 6). If Huff is to repeat as the individual champion, he will have to overcome some of the top runners in the conference. Leading the competition is Ozarks freshman Ryan Holt (Belfast, Ireland) and Concordia Texas sophomore Riley Zoch (Giddings, Texas/Giddings HS). In four races this fall, Holt has two wins and finished no lower than fourth place. Zoch has also posted two wins and was Concordia’s top men’s runner in four out of five events.
In the women’s race, a different ASC university has won the championship in each of the last four seasons. Mississippi College and Texas Lutheran were co-champions in 2012. Concordia Texas took home the crown in 2011. Championship host Hardin-Simmons won it in 2010, and Texas-Tyler won the title in 2009.
The women’s individual medalist projects to be a close race. Texas-Tyler junior Carly Kitts (Midlothian, Texas/Midlothian HS) and Concordia Texas senior Megan Wagenaar (Missouri City, Texas/Logos Prep HS) have the resumes to push for the individual title. Kitts has a first and second-place finish this fall, including setting the school record in the 6k (23:41). Wagenaar, who placed 14th in the 2012 ASC Championship, recorded a top-five finish this fall in addition to setting the Concordia school record in the 5k (18:38).
The men’s and women’s championship field is comprised of nine ASC universities – Concordia Texas, East Texas Baptist, Hardin-Simmons, LeTourneau, Louisiana College, Ozarks, Sul Ross State, Texas-Dallas and Texas-Tyler.
NOTES: Free admission … The awards presentation will begin at approximately 10:05 a.m. … The 2013 championships are the first to be hosted by Hardin-Simmons … The previous cross country championships in Abilene, Texas (1999, 2002, ‘07) were hosted by former ASC member McMurry … The Texas-Tyler men’s cross country team leads the ASC with seven league championships and have won six of the last seven individual titles … The 2013 NCAA Division III Cross Country South/Southeast Region Championships, which are open meets, will run Nov. 16 in Newport News, Va., on the Lee Hall Mansion Course. Christopher Newport University will serve as host … The national championship races will be Nov. 23 in Hanover, Ind. … To talk about/follow the ASC Cross Country Championships on Twitter, use the hashtag #ASCcc.
2013 ASC Championship Schedule
6:00 a.m. ASC Championship course open for warmup
8:20 a.m. Announcements and call to starting line for men
8:30 a.m. Start ASC Men’s Cross Country Championship (8k)
9:00 a.m. Announcements and call to starting line for women
9:15 a.m. Start ASC Women’s Cross Country Championship (6k)
10:05 a.m. Awards Ceremony
Men’s Team Champions
1996 Ozarks
1997 Mississippi College
1998 Mississippi College
1999 McMurry
2000 McMurry
2001 Mississippi College
2002 Mississippi College
2003 Mississippi College
2004 Mississippi College
2005 Texas-Tyler
2006 Texas-Tyler
2007 Texas-Tyler
2008 Texas-Tyler
2009 Mississippi College
2010 Texas-Tyler
2011 Texas-Tyler
2012 Texas-Tyler
Men’s Individual Champions
1996 Mitchell Wolowicz, McMurry (24:40.5 – 5 mile)
1997 Seth Jones, Mississippi College (31:54.00 – 8K)
1998 David Chandler, McMurry (27:17.70 – 8K)
1999 Tom Hanes, Mississippi College (26:56.20 – 8K)
2000 David Chandler, McMurry (27:31.00 – 8K)
2001 Justin Jernigan, Mississippi College (26:55.38 – 8K)
2002 Braegan Enright, McMurry (27:23.00 – 8K)
2003 Justin Rogers, Mississippi College (27:40.96 – 8K)
2004 Mathew Manning, Mississippi College (27:37.00 – 8K)
2005 Mathew Manning, Mississippi College (25:50.46 – 8K)
2006 Ben Donnan, Texas-Tyler (26:16.00 – 8K)
2007 Ben Donnan, Texas-Tyler (25:46.34 – 8K)
2008 Warren Brown, Texas-Tyler (26:06 – 8K)
2009 Tino Gonzalez, Mississippi College (28:02.32 – 8K)
2010 Jeff Chandler, Texas-Tyler (26:20.00 – 8K)
2011 Ross Renfroe, Texas-Tyler (25:42.30 – 8K)
2012 Nick Huff, Texas-Tyler (26:12.97 – 8k)
Women’s Team Champions
1996 Austin College
1997 Mississippi College
1998 Mississippi College
1999 Mississippi College
2000 Mississippi College
2001 Mississippi College
2002 Texas Lutheran
2003 Texas Lutheran
2004 Texas Lutheran
2005 Mississippi College
2006 McMurry
2007 Mississippi College
2008 Mississippi College
2009 Texas-Tyler
2010 Hardin-Simmons
2011 Concordia Texas
2012 Mississippi College
Texas Lutheran (Co-champs)
Women’s Individual Champions
1996 Alisha Rygh, Howard Payne (20:25.00 – 5K)
1997 Julie Schmidt, Mississippi College (23:31.00 – 5K)
1998 Sheila Hynum, Mississippi College (19:40.33 – 5K)
1999 Sheila Hynum, Mississippi College (21:07.10 – 5K)
2000 Nicole Hollifield, Mississippi College (19:29.00 – 5K)
2001 Nicole Hollifield, Mississippi College (19:07.64 – 5K)
2002 Amanda Ward, McMurry (24:50.00 – 6K)
2003 Samara Williams, Texas Lutheran (24:19.89 – 6K)
2004 Samara Williams, Texas Lutheran (24:44.00 – 6K)
2005 Rachel Hardin, Mississippi College (24:09.78 – 6K)
2006 Carla Lewis, McMurry (24:11.00 – 6K)
2007 Magan Saenz, Texas Lutheran (24:16.65 – 6K)
2008 Kellie Kirby, Mississippi College (24:36.60 – 6K)
2009 Carla Lewis, McMurry (25:01.52 – 6K)
2010 Lindsey Hinton, Hardin-Simmons (23:14.00 – 6K)
2011 Alaisha Guerra, McMurry (23:54.18 – 6K)
2012 Nicole Leman, LeTourneau (22:39.95 – 6k)
Topics: Athletics