23rd ASC Cross Country Championships Set for Saturday

10/25/2018 2:30:03 PM

ASC Championship: Host Site | History | Championship Central
2018: Men's Performance List | Women's Performance List

RICHARDSON, Texas - The 2018 American Southwest Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships are set to run Saturday, October 27 in Abilene, Texas at the ACU Cross Country Course hosted by McMurry University

The women's 6,000 meter race will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the men's 8k at 9:15 a.m.

Twelve member schools will compete in the 23rd conference championships, with 11 eligible for the 2018 title.

The UT Dallas women are the two-time defending champions, winning the titles in 2016 and 2017. There will be new champion on the men's side as UT Tyler, who has won 12 of the last 13 crowns, will be competing as a non-scoring team as they are a their final year of membership with the ASC and a reclassifying to NCAA Division II.

For the women, LeTourneau, Mary Hardin-Baylor, McMurry and Ozarks have each won team titles this season. The Ozarks men have claimed one team meet in 2018. Other teams competing include Belhaven, Concordia Texas, East Texas Baptist, Hardin-Simmons, Louisiana College and Sul Ross State.

Mary Hardin-Baylor returns to the Championships for the first time since bringing back the sport after a 17-year hiatus.

Five women have won individual races this season. LeTourneau junior Alexis Segura, who has the top 6K time of the season in the ASC at 22:38.2, won three meets - the Nicole Leman Invitational, Texas Lutheran Invitational and ETBU Tigers Invitational. UMHB junior Caroline Vining (2nd ASC - 22:37.62) won a dual with Southwestern, while HSU junior Sydney Tencate (3rd ASC - 24:05.1) won the Southwestern Opener.

Senior Hannah Smith of Ozarks, who had the best 5K time of the season in 19:16.5, won the Arkansas Division III Championships and the Ozarks Invitational. UT Dallas junior Hollee Ratliff was the medalist of the Bill Libby Invitational.

Tencate, Segura and Ratliff were First Team All-Conference honorees last year along with Concordia senior Emily Villines (4th ASC - 24:27.3), who has a chance to become just the fourth woman in ASC history to become a four time All-Conference First Team selection.

On the men's side, Ozarks sophomore Nathaneal Rankin is the defending individual champion and comes in with the top 8K time of the season at 25:28.5. Rankin's season featured a trio of runner-up finishes, including most recently at the Little Rock Invitational. East Texas Baptist sophomore Mack Broussard (2nd ASC - 26:03.2) won the Nicole Leman, ETBU Tiger and Bill Libby Invitationals and earned four ASC Runner of the Week awards this season.

UO sophomore Michael Harris (4th ASC - 26:29.8) earned victories at the Arkansas Division III Championships and Ozarks Invitational on his home course. UTD freshman Cannon Leavitt comes in with the third best time of the year 26:10.76. He finished third at the MSU Shootout.

Rankin, Harris, Broussard and HSU junior Tyler Rohrman (6th - 27:22.6) were First Team All-Conference honorees last season.

Full results, award winners and photos plus course information will be available at the ASC Cross Country Championships Central page.

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