Conference USA’s 11 men’s and 13 women’s cross country squads are set to take the course Saturday, October 30, for the 2021 C-USA Cross Country Championships. Live Results Link
The event, hosted by Charlotte, will take place at Frank Liske Park in Concord, N.C. The men’s 8k is slated to begin at 9 a.m. CT followed by the women’s 5k at 10 a.m. CT. The awards ceremony will follow the conclusion of both races.
READ MORE: How to follow the 2021 Horizon League Cross Country Championships
C-USA Cross Country Championships Central
Live Results Link
2021 C-USA Cross Country Championships
Hosted by Charlotte | Concord, N.C.
Frank Liske Park
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30
Men’s 8k Race | 9 a.m. CT
Women’s 5k Race | 10 a.m. CT
Awards Ceremony | Conclusion of Races
The preseason favorite and defending C-USA Champions, Charlotte, reached as high as No. 30 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national rankings this season after a solid regular season. They were led by senior Nick Scudder, who took home three Conference-USA Athlete of the Week honors and ran the two-fastest 8K times in Charlotte history. Most recently, he finished 14th at the highly competitive FSU Pre-Nationals.
North Texas, who was picked to finish fifth in the league and was ranked 10th in the preseason USTFCCA South Central Region poll, is currently third in the region. The Mean Green won two team titles and posted a third-place finish in their final meet of the season under first-year head coach Matt Layten. Two North Texas runners earned weekly recognition from the league this season in senior Caleb Bouchard and junior Braden Lange.
Middle Tennessee, the preseason runner-up is currently sixth in the latest South Region poll while Rice holds the same position in the South Central Poll. Additionally, UTEP is currently 11th in the Mountain Region.
On the women’s side, preseason favorite and two-time defending C-USA Champions Middle Tennessee are currently ranked No. 9 in the USTFCCCA South Region poll after a regular season highlighted by two second-place team finishes. Blue Raider graduate Eusila Chepkemei was the team’s top finisher in all four events.
Rice, picked to finish third by the league’s coaches, landed at No. 5 in the South Region’s latest rankings and have been paced by sophomore All-American Grace Forbes all season. Forbes won three individual tournament titles en route to picking up three Conference-USA Athlete of the Week honors. She only finished second once and set a personal best in the 6k with a 19:53.3 in her final regular-season meet of the year.
Preseason runner-up Charlotte landed at No. 12 in the Southeast Region with freshman Louise Lounes earning an Athlete of the Week honor on Oct. 5. Additionally, the season saw Southern Miss junior Lina May and WKU fifth-year Savannah Heckman get recognized by the league.
