KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State cross country runners Mackenzie Howe and Britany Reilly hope to continue their great running this fall on Saturday, when they compete in the NCAA South Region Championship at the University of Alabama’s Harry Pritchett Running Course in Tuscaloosa.

With a spot in the NCAA National Championship at stake, both runners will have a chance to earn their way in as individuals by placing in the top-four among those that do not qualify as part of a team.

Howe will be one of the runners that the competition will be keeping their eyes on, as the junior was victorious in her last visit here, when she beat out Auburn’s Holly Knight by three and a half seconds to win the Crimson Classic on September 18. Howe would go on to win her first six meets of the season before finishing second in the Atlantic Sun Championship. Her performances led to her being named Atlantic Sun Women’s Runner of the Week five times during the fall.

Reilly, a senior, is also regarded as one of the top runners in the region, finishing 26th at the Crimson Classic and recording five top-ten finishes in her first seven races this fall.

"I think it would be great to get to Nationals, i'm definitely going to give it all I have on Saturday," Reilly, who won the KSU Owl Invitational on October 23, said. "This is a great course, very challenging, and my familiarity with it from the Crimson Classic should help a great deal."

Things will be a little different this weekend, as the Region course is set-up at the 6k distance, as opposed to the 5k course Howe and Reilly faced in September. Despite the unique length of the course, as the women’s team has not run in a race of that distance this season, Sims didn’t feel like much had to be changed to prepare the two runners for the race.

“Those two, they always run together and train together even when we don’t have practice, so they’ll be ready to go,” head coach Stan Sims said of Howe and Reilly, who are roommates. “Mackenzie and Britany know how good they are, and there’s a great chance they can both prove it to everyone there and make Nationals. I told Mackenzie that if she just goes ahead and wins the race, there won’t be anything to worry about when it comes to qualifying, that everything will just take care of itself.”

The women will be set to start their race at 11:15 a.m. Central Time.

Meet Quick Facts

Start Time: 11:15 a.m. (Central)

Distance: 6k

Last Time KSU Competed: First Time Competing in NCAA Regional (Competed in Region Preview at same course on 9/18 in 5k meet).

Region Preview Times/Finish: Mackenzie Howe 17:13 (1); Britany Reilly 18:58 (26)

Teams Competing (Conference): Alabama (SEC); Alabama A&M (SWAC); Alcorn State (SWAC); Auburn (SEC); Austin Peay (Ohio Valley); Belmont (Atlantic Sun); Bethune-Cookman (MEAC); Central Florida (Conference USA); Chattanooga (Southern); East Tennessee State (Atlantic Sun); Florida (SEC); Florida A&M (MEAC); Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt); Florida International (Sun Belt); Florida State (ACC); Georgia (SEC); Georgia Southern (Southern); Georgia State (Colonial Athletic); Georgia Tech (ACC); Jackson State (SWAC); Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley); Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun); Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun); Memphis (Conference USA); Mercer (Atlantic Sun); Miami (ACC); Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt); Ole Miss (SEC); Mississippi State (SEC); Mississippi Valley (SWAC); North Florida (Atlantic Sun); Samford (Southern); Savannah State (Independent); South Alabama (Sun Belt); South Florida (Big East); Southern Mississippi (Conference USA); Stetson (Atlantic Sun); Tennessee (SEC); Tennessee State (Ohio Valley); Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley); Tennessee-Martin (Ohio Valley); Troy (Sun Belt); UAB (Conference USA); Vanderbilt (SEC)