WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Oct. 27) – On Saturday, Oct. 30, the eyes of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) cross country world will be fixed on the Greene County Airport as Waynesburg University hosts the 2010 PAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships.
First-year head coach Chris Hardie and his teams are thrilled to play host to the biggest conference meet of the season.
“The whole Waynesburg University community is excited to host this important event,” Hardie said. “From a cross country perspective, this is the meet that the athletes have been looking forward to all season. We are so very excited to be running in front of the home crowd on a course we know so very well."
The men's race is up first and is scheduled to get going at 10 a.m. The Yellow Jackets look primed to push for a top spot in the event after placing second at the 17-team Hood College Open on Saturday, Oct. 16.
“The men's cross country team is heading into this meet clicking on all cylinders,” Hardie said. “We are coming off one of the best meets in the history of this team and most importantly, the team has remained healthy and appears to be peaking at the perfect time. We are anxious to see how we stack up against the rest of the conference."
Conference powerhouse Grove City will go for its 19th-straight men's team title and are led by senior Garrett Cichowitz, who was the 2009 PAC Men's Cross Country MVP and the top finisher at last year's race.
The women are expected to get their race underway at 11 a.m. It has been another solid season on the courses for the Yellow Jackets and Hardie believes they are well prepared to defend their home turf.
“The women's cross country team has had two strong weeks of training and seem very focused on this meet,” Hardie said. “From day one, the leadership of this team has stressed the importance of this meet. The goal is to go out and run the race well. If the opportunity for greatness presents itself, then the team must be willing to embrace it. This group is tough and has trained well. I expect them to embrace that challenge.”
Just like on the men's side, Grove City is the heavy favorite to win the team title, which would be the Wolverine women's 22nd in a row. They are led by the sophomore duo of Sara Fisher and Ella Smith, who finished last year's race 1-2 overall. Saint Vincent junior Ivette Mejia, who won six of the seven PAC Women's Runner of the Week awards, is also a favorite to take the top spot.
Directions to this year's PAC cross country championships can be found at www.waynesburgsports.com. Once there, click on the “Resources” tab and click on “Directions” in the drop down menu.
