Nov. 15, 2008
USTFCCCA Regional Central | Meet Information
MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt men’s and women’s cross country teams join the members of the NCAA South Regional bracket for the NCAA Regional Championships Saturday, Nov. 15, in Maryville, Tenn. The women will race at 10 a.m. ET, the men at 10:45 a.m. ET.
“Everyone is healthy and ready to go,” Steve Keith, VU head coach, said. “We’re looking forward to finishing an already successful season on a good note. A challenging course and inclement weather make for perfect cross country conditions. I know we are up for the challenge.”
The Commodores return to action after solid performances at the SEC Championship on Nov. 3. The women improved upon their 2007 results by 40 points, while several runners submitted much faster times.
Rita Jorgensen finished in the top-20 runners, shaving 18 seconds off her 2007 time and moving up 12 places. Adrienne DiRaddo trimmed 35 seconds off last years performance, while Kate Southcote-Want knocked off 40 seconds and moved up 11 spots.
The men also improved on the previous season’s results, finishing 10 points better. Thomas Davis placed in the top-42 racers, VU didn’t have a single runner higher than 64 in 2007, and crossed the timeline 40 seconds faster as well.
Rob Whiting, Michael Nordlund, James Kasten and Peter DelNero also qualified faster than in the previous season.
Despite faster times and better team results, both Commodore squads saw the same final placement as last year, eighth for the women (177) and 11th for the men (292).
The South Regional championship will boast some of the toughest competition in the country this weekend. The men will battle with nationally-ranked No. 12 Auburn and No. 25 Florida State, alongside SEC Champion Alabama. The women will face No. 3 Florida State and No. 15 Florida.
Florida finished runner-up to Arkansas in the SEC Championship, and are favorites with Florida State and Tennessee to lead the race. Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Florida State are the heavy weight contenders vying for the men’s championship.
Both of Coach Keith’s squads have shown steady improvement, both physically and coesively as a team throughout the season. The Commodores are certainly ready for the challenge, and eager to improve on last season’s 11th overall (women) and 14th overall (men) performances.
The University of Tennessee will host the event at Lambert Acres Golf Club. Click here for more information and directions to the course.
