Birmingham, AL--The Gulf South Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships return to Veteran's Park in Hoover, Alabama for the third consecutive year.

The 2009 Championships take place on Saturday, October 24^th in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover, Alabama.  The 11-team, 8-K men's event starts at 9:00 a.m. (Central time), followed by the 13-team, 5-K women's meet which starts approximately 30 minutes after the finish of the men's race.  Complete information regarding Veteran's Park can be found by clicking here.

The Hoover High School and Spain Park High School Track and Field Booster Clubs will serve as hosts of the Championships.  Veteran's Park is no stranger to high-profile cross country events, hosting the Nike Invitational and Great American Races.

Each of the race's Top Ten finishers based on time are automatically named members of the All-GSC First Team, while the 11^th through 20^th finishers earn Second Team accolades.  The true freshman with the best time will garner GSC Freshman of the Year laurels, while the GSC Coach of the Year award will be selected by the head coaches on Monday afternoon.

MEN'S RACE PREVIEW

Harding is expected to successfully defend its GSC Title, entering the event with a No. 24 national ranking and a No. 1 South Region mark.  HU will be challenged as five other regionally ranked schools seek to dethrone the Bisons:  No. 2 Alabama-Huntsville, No. 4 West Georgia, No. 6 West Alabama, No. 7 Christian Brothers and No. 9 West Florida.

Individually, this year's field includes five returning All-GSC First Team runners led by 2008 Individual Champion and Freshman of the Year, HU's Daniel Kirwa.  Harding also returns runner-up Philip Biwott and ninth-place finisher Wojciech Kopec.  Henderson State's Gabriel Ghioca (eighth-place) and UAH's Mark Temple (10^th place) also posted First Team times a year ago.

All but one of last year's All-GSC Second Team standouts return.  Leading the way is UWA's Austin Enriquez who finished just two seconds off of the First Team pace last year, while Alabama-Huntsville's Josh Moshier placed 12^th.  Completing the list of 2008 Second Team returnees is UWG's Josh Albey (13^th), West Alabama's Jonathan Sellers (14^th), UAH's Will Rodgers (15^th), UWG's Dan Moffit (16^th), Southern Arkansas' Nathan Blim (18^th), UWG's Roman Drankin (19^th) and Alabama-Huntsville's Samson Too (20^th). 

WOMEN'S RACE PREVIEW

As usual, the women's field is packed with national and regionally ranked teams.  Leading the pack is four-time defending champion Harding which is No. 24 in the nation and holds a No. 2 South Regional ranking.  Arkansas Tech and West Florida are No. 3 and No. 4 in the regional poll, respectively, while No. 7 West Georgia, No. 8 West Alabama, No. 9 Alabama-Huntsville and No. 10 Valdosta State complete the regional ranked squads.

An impressive field of runners will await the starting gun on Saturday, as 12 of the last year's Top 20 runners return led by the top seven finishers from 2008.  Eight All-GSC First Teamers are back to battle the Veteran's Park course, led by HU trio Esther Kosgei, Mary Samoei (2^nd) and Gladys Kimtai (3^rd).  Kosgie is the defending Individual Champion, while Samoei collected Freshman of the Year laurels.  UAH's Gwen Kyser (4^th), ATU duo Mellissa Pollreis (5^th) and Lauren Karnitz (6^th) and Harding duo Katy Grant (7^th) and Rysper Sirma (9^th) round out the Top 10 returnees.

Four All-GSC Second Team standouts also return.  UNA's Hannah Cook finished 11^th a year ago, while UWF's Baille Hedstrom and HU's Gosia Drazkowska placed 13^th and 14^th, respectively.  Alabama-Huntsville's Jill Koch (20^th) rounds out the 2008 Second Teamers. 

ATU freshman Bailee Miller is considered of the top newcomers after garnering GSC Runner of the Week accolades five times this season.