LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky men?s and women?s cross country teams will compete in the NCAA Southeast Regional in Louisville, Ky., this Saturday hosted by the University of Louisville at E.P. ?Tom? Sawyer Park. The women?s 6K race is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST and the men?s 10K race is slated to commence at 12:15 p.m. EST with the hopes of advancing to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Southeast Regional consists of schools from Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The top two teams in each race will earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 20. There are nine regional events taking place across the country this weekend and the top two teams in each race will earn automatic bids to the field of 31. The remaining spots will be filled by at-large selections.
?Our runners are set to maximize their potential at the NCAA Regionals,? said Pat Tyson, assistant coach for distance and cross country. ?We are healthy and excited to test our limits at this meet. This will be the first 10K race for the men, which will give them more of an opportunity to spin their wheels and see who they can pass. For the women, this is their second 6K race of the season.?
The Wildcats have already had a taste of the championship-level course as they competed in the Greater Louisville Classic at E.P. ?Tom? Sawyer Park earlier this season.
?I think any time you are able to race close to home it is an advantage,? Tyson said. ?It was good experience for us to get a rough draft of this course six weeks ago. Anytime you are able to stay in your home state and don?t have to fly, the conditions are favorable for you.?
The Wildcat women have counted on a balanced lineup this season that is anchored by senior Georganne Way (Lilitz, Pa.) and sophomores Andrea Halasek (Georgetown, Ky.) and Taylor Miller (Owensboro, Ky.). Miller has led the Cats in three of their five meets meets this season, including a 24th place finish at the Southeastern Conference Championships two weeks ago. Way was the SEC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Week in the first week of the season after her first place finish at the EKU Invitational on Sept. 1. Halasek led the Wildcats at the Greater Louisville Classic with an 18th place overall finish against stiff competition.
On the men?s side, senior John Richardson (Ocean City, N.J.) and junior Andre Silva (Centereach, N.Y.) have provided a powerful one-two punch all season long. The duo led the Wildcats to a first place finish at the Cal Poly Invitational in their final regular season meet as Silva and Richardson finished first and second, respectively. Silva has been the Cats? top finisher in three of the team?s five meets this season, and Richardson led UK at the SEC Championships with a 17th-place finish.
Last season at the NCAA Southeast Regional in Greenville, N.C., the Kentucky women placed ninth out of 28 teams led by then-senior Allison Grace, who placed 13th individually and advanced to the NCAA Championships to conclude her career. The men?s squad did not post a team score at the NCAA Regionals last season.
Complete results and a recap of the 2006 NCAA Southeast Regional will be available at ukathletics.com.
