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COLUMBIA, Mo. - With the end of October comes the beginning of the Championship season for Mizzou Cross Country, as they head down to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships this Friday, October 31. Ten men and women will don the black and gold on the Harry Pritchett Cross Country Course to take on an impressive conference field that includes three of the top-25 teams in the nation. The women will kick the day off with their 6000-meter race at 9 a.m. CT, followed by the men's 8000-meter race at 10 a.m., and the awards ceremony at 11:15 a.m.
A 30-minute highlight show of the meet will air on the SEC Network on Sunday, November 9, at 8 p.m. CT.
THE FIELD
Included among the 14 women's, and 13 men's, teams are three members of the current top-30 ranked programs in the NCAA, as released by the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association). Defending SEC Champions Arkansas are sitting at No. 5 in the women's polls, No. 23 on the men's, and the Vanderbilt women are slotted in at No. 14. The Ole Miss men also received votes in the latest poll.
The SEC Pre-Season Rankings
| Men | Women |
| 1. Arkansas 2. Florida 3. Ole Miss 4. Missouri 5. Auburn 6. Texas A&M 7. Georgia 8. Kentucky 9. Alabama 10. Mississippi State 11. Tennessee 12. LSU 13. Vanderbilt |
1. Arkansas 2. Vanderbilt 3. Texas A&M 4. Florida 5. Alabama 6. Mississippi State 7. Missouri 8. Kentucky 9. Georgia 10. Tennessee 11. Ole Miss 12. Auburn 13. South Carolina 14. LSU |
THE TIGER WOMEN
Among the highlights on the women's roster is sophomore Kaitlyn Fischer, who returns to the SEC Cross Country Championships after her memorable finish last year, leading the team to a seventh-place finish. Fischer was recognized as the 2013 SEC Freshman of the Year after finishing sixth overall for a First Team All-SEC nod. She went on to finish sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional for an All-Region honor and NCAA Championship qualification.
Joining her on the line are a pair of stand-out freshmen in Karissa Schweizer and Jamie Kempfer. Schweizer has scored in the top three for the women in every meet thus far this season, including leading the squad at the Greater Louisville Classic earlier this month (October 4) with her 11th-place overall finish.
Kempfer has also been a solid scorer for the Tigers, crossing in the top five for three of her four meets this season.
The women's team also boasts a number of veterans, including seniors Courtney Wood and Courtney Brown, and junior Sam Garrett who will tally their third SEC Championships finish this weekend. Also donning the black and gold will be junior Maria Effinger, and sophomores Megan Cunningham, Nicole Mello, and Kayla Wolf, all of whom return for their second SEC Championship meet.
THE TIGER MEN
The men's squad also boasts a mix of newcomers and returners, starting with returning All-SEC Second Team finisher, senior Sam Dickerson, and SEC Freshman of the Year, sophomore T.J. Carey. Dickerson and Carey, along with junior Tyler Schneider, are the returning three from last year's top five finishers, who led the squad to a fourth-place team finish.
The men have seen a lot of movement in the top slots throughout the season, with Carey, junior Kenny Cushing, and Schneider all earning top finishes for the team over the past two months. Schneider, who was an SEC All-Freshman Team finisher in 2012, has had an exciting season thus far this year, leading the black and gold for three of the five regular season meets, including clocking the top finish ever for the Tigers at the Greater Louisville Classic (ninth).
Also making the trip this week are returning SEC All-Freshman Team finishers, sophomores Drew White and Dan Roe, and sophomore Jordan Cook, who competed for the Tigers at last year's Championship meet. A trio of new faces will also take the line with freshmen Marc Dubrick, Sheldon Keence, and Chris Mooneyham all making their first Championship team.
For the latest on your Tigers, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MIZ_TrackField.