Cross Country Set for ASC Championships
October 26, 2007

The University of Texas at Tyler cross country teams will race in the 2007 American Southwest Conference men’s and women’s cross country championships, set for Saturday at Abilene State Park.

The men run an 8K and will begin at 9:45 a.m., while the women use a 6K format and are slated for a 9:00 a.m. start. McMurry University will serve as host.

The UT Tyler men are favored to win their third consecutive ASC championship, but for the first time a win guarantees a trip to the NCAA regional meet Nov. 10 in Virginia. The Patriots come into the conference meet as the top-ranked team in the south/south central region and hold a No. 29 national ranking in NCAA Division III.

At last year’s conference meet in Tyler, UT Tyler accounted for five of the top seven sports with sophomore Ben Donnan taking the individual title with a 26:16. McMurry finished in second place last year.

So far this season, the Patriots men have won four of their six meets.

The 10-team men’s field will be composed of Concordia Texas, East Texas Baptist, Louisiana College, McMurry, Mississippi College, Ozarks, Schreiner, Sul Ross State, Texas-Dallas and UT Tyler.

The UT Tyler women will be shooting for their first ASC championship. The Patriots finished third in the UT Tyler Invitational on Sept. 8 and fifth in the Texas DIII Championship on Sept. 22. Their best finish was a first-place title at the University of Dallas meet on Oct. 2.

The 11-team women’s field consists of Concordia Texas, East Texas Baptist, Louisiana College, defending champion McMurry, Mississippi College, Ozarks, Schreiner, Sul Ross State, Texas-Dallas, UT Tyler and Texas Lutheran.

The Patriots have recorded a combined eight trips to the podium this season, including a one, two, three sweep by the men at the Texas Division III State Championships. Five UT Tyler runners have also earned ASC runner of the week honors .

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