LITTLE ROCK – Head coach Milton Williams has announced the schedule for the UALR men’s and women’s cross country teams for the upcoming 2012 season. The Trojans will compete in three regular season meets, including the UALR Invitational at Rebsamen Golf Course, before the Sun Belt Championships in late October.
The Trojans will begin the 2012 season at home, hosting the UALR Invitational for the third-straight year at Rebsamen Golf Course on Sept 7. UALR will be looking to replicate the success it had at this event a year ago, when it took the top individual spots in both the men’s 8K and the women’s 5K races. Dustin Mettler led seven top-ten finishers for the Trojan men by finishing first of 98 runners in a school-record time of 24:18.65. The UALR women took four of the top ten spots in the 5K, with Erika LaCroix finishing first in a time of 17:24.20.
Next up for the Trojans will be the Greater Louisville Classic at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 29. UALR ends its regular season schedule with the Chili Pepper Festival at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 13. This will be the fourth-straight year competing in the Northwest Arkansas event for the Trojans. Last year, Felix Maritim led UALR men with a 19th-place finish at the event to set a new school record in the 10K (30:15.7). LaCroix was the top women’s finisher, clocking in at 21:34.8 in the 6K to place 37th overall.
This year’s Sun Belt Championships are set for Oct. 27 and will be hosted by WKU for the third-straight year. The Trojan men placed second at the 2011 championships, with Maritim and Mettler earning All-SBC honors after placing seventh and eighth, respectively. The UALR women finished fourth at last year’s conference championships. LaCroix and Sanna Mustonen picked up All-SBC honors after placing seventh and tenth, respectively.
The Trojans will have some familiarity with the NCAA South Central Regional and NCAA Championship locations. This year’s South Central Regional is set to be held at Agri Park in Fayetteville (Nov. 10), while the National Championships will be run at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky. (Nov. 19).
