Cross country teams finish top three in Conference USA championship
Akshay Mirchandani/Staff Writer
The Mean Green hosted the Conference USA Cross Country Championships at the Eagle Point Cross Country Course in Denton on Saturday with second-place finish for the men’s team and a third-place finish for the women’s.
The men’s team was led by sophomore Troy Taylor, who finished ninth individually. The University of Tulsa men came in first and won its fourth straight C-USA championship.
“Our men’s were ranked probably third or so coming in and we thought we could definitely beat Rice and be second so we’re really pumped about that,” head coach Stefanie Slekis said. “We thought we’d try to run with Tulsa, give it a shot, but they are a really good team. I was still happy to see our pack be so close together.”
Senior Jo Adams on the women’s team finished third individually. She said that placing in the top three was one of her goals.
“We know this course so well and feel like we were as prepared as we could be,” Adams said. “As a team, we felt strong and I think our ultimate goal was third place so we retrieved that.”
The fact that the Mean Green was able to finish in the top three on both the men’s and women’s side in their first season in C-USA is something they hope sends a message to the other teams in the conference.
“It’s amazing, really,” Taylor said. “We came in and we showed them that we’re not just some scrub team. We’re here to compete and give them a run for their money.”
A benefit that the teams had was home course advantage, which Slekis said helped their confidence level.
“We knew it was a tough course, we knew where to go and we knew where to make our moves,” Slekis said. “That really propelled us to feel confident that we could come in and make a statement.”
The team has finished in at least the top five in all of their meets this year and will now look to carry their momentum into the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in Waco on Nov. 15.
“Nothing should really change,” Adams said. “Just rest and just keep the momentum going.”
Feature photo: Sophomore distance runner Alexander Hita runs past the UNT wind turbines next to Victory Hall on Saturday morning. Photo by Aidan Barrett / Senior Staff Photographer
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