KENNESAW, Ga. - Traveling to the meet they have prepared all season for, the women’s cross country team is on the road to Millikin Research Park in Spartanburg, S.C. for the Atlantic Sun championship Sat Oct. 30. Landing in second place last season, Mackenzie Howe and the rest of the Owls look to capitalize on last year’s second place team finish against stiff competition.

Ending the regular season in sixth place, the team looks to conference foes Jacksonville, North Florida, Lipscomb, Belmont, ETSU, FGCU, Campbell, Stetson, Mercer and USC Upstate to deter their goal of becoming A-Sun champs for the first time since joining the conference in 2005. Head cross country coach Stan Sims believes his ladies are ready and willing to take the challenge head on this weekend.

“The Milliken Research Park is a great cross country course and we have spent a lot of time at Noon Day Park using the terrain there tune-ups for the A-Sun championship,” Sims said. “We have to be ready for anything since a lot can happen in the course of 5000 meters. Our top five girls: Mackenzie, Heather, Alison, Stephanie and Haley are ready to compete this weekend. The course should set us up for some personal bests. Mackenzie Howe, one of KSU's finest distance runners, will finish her XC career on one of the great courses in the region.

Finishing last season in second place behind Jacksonville, the young squad will look to their first conference championship as a stepping stone into the rest of their cross country career. The only runner who competed for the Owls last season was senior Howe. Last year she was able to finish the 5k course in Deland, Fla. in 17:31 which was good enough for second place. It also made her an easy choice for First Team All- Conference along with former runner now assistant coach Erin Sutton. That was the third time since she began at Kennesaw State that she would be named to the All-Conference team.

Joining Howe on the grass are sophomore Stephanie Sawyer and freshmen Haley Carson, Alison Wald and Heather Morris. Having all achieved personal records at some point throughout the season, the ladies will be given their first glimpse of postseason competition. For Carson, the chance to finally complete at conference is something she has been waiting for all season.

“I am really excited about running my first conference race this Saturday,” Carson said. “I am more excited that we have all our girls running and ready to go out and do our best. It will be great to see all our hard work finally paying off.”

 

Quick Facts

Event Name: Atlantic Sun Cross Country Championship

Host: USC Upstate

Location: Milliken Research Park              

Start Time: 9:00 A.M.

Distance: 5k

2009 Owl Finish, Score: 2nd, 80 points

2009 Owl Top Finishers: Howe,2nd-17:31

Schools Participating (11): Belmont, Campbell, East Tennessee State, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, Stetson, Univ. of North Florida, USC Upstate