Memphis Twilight Inivtational Entry List
MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama cross country teams look primed for success in their fourth meet of the season, the Memphis Twilight Invitational, hosted by Christian Brothers University of Memphis, Tenn. The Lady Jags will compete at 8:10 p.m. (CT) and the men are scheduled to follow at 8:50 p.m. The men's team is ranked No. 6 in the South Region in the latest United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll released Oct. 3. It is the highest USTFCCCA ranking ever for a Jaguar men's team.
Jag men were 12th of the 20 teams in the highly competitive Blue Division race at last Friday's Notre Dame Invitational that featured seven of the Top-30 teams in the USTFCCCA Poll. This weekend, the Jaguars will face stiff competition from Sun Belt Conference Champions Western Kentucky, SBC rival Arkansas-Little Rock, SWAC powerhouse Jackson State, and the Buccaneers of the host team.
South Alabama is led by this week's Sun Belt Conference Runner of the Week, Tonny Okello, and the previous week's R.O.W., Vincent Rono. At last weekend's Notre Dame Invitational, the two-time cross country All-American finished sixth overall in a SBC-leading time of 23:54 for 8K (5 miles). The time is the fourth-fastest in South Alabama history.
Despite finishing out of the top five for just the second time in his Jaguar career, Rono (24:05) ran the fifth-fastest Jaguar men's time to place tenth at Notre Dame. The NCAA outdoor track champion at 1500m won his previous two meets this season, the Azalea City Classic (Sept 16) in Mobile, Ala., and the LSU Cross Country Festival (Sept 23) in Baton Rouge, La.
Newcomer Micah Tirop has been the Jags consistent third runner this season. The Moi University transfer ran the eighth-best Jaguar all-time mark (24:25) in South Bend, Ind., finishing 28th. He was third overall at LSU and at the home meet.
Making their 2006 debut are All-SBC Performer Harry Larubi and P.J. Smith. Larubi, the Ugandian national, has been out injured since shortly before the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships this past track season. The senior was third at the SBC Cross Country Championships in 2004 and fourth last fall and was the Jags No. 3 runner before the arrival of Tirop. Smith, a freshman formerly of St Paul's (Mobile, Ala.), was injured before the season began, but is anxious to begin his Jaguar career.
Also traveling to Memphis, Tenn., will be senior Stephen Larubi, coming off his second-fastest performance (26:49) and cross country rookies junior David Dollo and transfer Ryan Robinson.
The Lady Jags finished 24th at the Notre Dame Invitational in the Gold Division. Like the men, the women will face tough opposition from this past fall's SBC Champions Arkansas-Little Rock, 2005 runner-up Western Kentucky, regional adversaries North Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville, and the Lady Bucs of the host, Christian Brothers University.
Leading this week's charge, as she has for the last two weeks is senior Lauren Lemon. The Mobile Christian Academy graduate was the leading finisher for the women's team in South Bend, Ind., placing 141st in a time of 20:36. She extended her streak of consecutive 5K (3.1 mile) races under 21 minutes to five which began on October 8 of last year at the Auburn Invitational (20:06, personal best).
Junior Cassandra Perkins was 157th last Friday with a time of 21:01, followed by the sophomore from Uruguay, Jessica Miller, who was 159th in 21:05, the third-fastest time in her young Jaguar career.
Senior Clarisse Moh returns to the Lady Jags after a one-meet absence, The Paris, France native was fourth in first career cross country meet at the Azalea City Classic (20:33) and 36th at LSU's 6K event (26:27).
Improving runners, senior Darryllisha Burch and junior Melissa Womble, will round out the squad for Saturday's 5K race.
